So, if you had $100,000,000, would you go to the moon?

[chelsea0011]

Space Adventures along with Russian space officials are set to announce a trip of 10 to 21 days, depending on a space station stop, trip around the moon. You have 100 mil lying around. Are you going?

I would be tempted. It beats Cape Cod.

[LynneSin]

1. wait - is it going to cost me $100mil in order to take this trip?

I think if I had that much money to blow, I'd donate it to OxFam or some other worthy cause to help feed the hungry across the globe

[chelsea0011]

2. That's right... 100 million. I was also taken aback with the amount.

The NYT article says maybe 50 to 100 people in the world could afford this trip. I ask the question because it would seem like a total waste of valuable resources. I would be tempted but probably could never rationlize the spending of money this way.

[Orsino]

6. That's what I'm planning to say I'll do with the money, too. :-)

But, seriously, you're right. Despite all the wonder, a round-trip ticket for me accomplishes nothing substantial.

There are wounds to heal right here.

[In_The_Wind]

3. no

I'd feel a whole lot of hungry people!

[ghostsofgiants]

10. You and I appear to be on the same page

:)

[In_The_Wind]

19. Yes, we are ~ on more than one occasion, I might add.

:)

[LiberalEsto]

4. If it could be a one-way trip

I'd gladly send Bush in my place.


And I'd MUCH rather be in Cape Cod.

[Ready4Change]

5. Assuming money was no object

Yes.

Now, I'd rather do other space adventures. A week or two, but for less cost, to kick around a space station, would be a blast, for example.

LAND on the moon, bounce around, try a little golf (with modern space suits I could probably better ol' Shepards drives.)

But, if I had the money to burn, and the 100 million, around the moon trip was the only show in town, yes, I'd do it.

However, I'll believe this one when I see it. While the Russians are the only ones to have done any space tourism at all, their single shot of Dennis Tito does not make me sure they'll follow through with such a grandious plan as an around the moon flight.

Virgin Atlantic, now. Their plans may have some legs.

[northzax]

8. and doesn't $200 million

for a moon shot seem, well, underfunded? I mean it's not really the type of thing you want to do on the cheap, is it?

[Ready4Change]

11. Well, yes and no.

Most of the cost is in getting up into Earths orbit. Once you get a, let's call it, a lunar shuttle into orbit, the economy of the operation starts scaling really nicely. Especially if the lunar shuttle doesn't land out there.

But still, the energies involved getting into orbit create a situation that doesn't treat penny pinchers kindly.

[northzax]

12. sure, but let's not forget

the Russians don't actually have a craft handy to orbit the moon, they have to build one out. The costs of the actual mission, without amortisation of equipment and planning and the like, is certainly doable in the range of $200m) It's estimated that a Soyuz shot costs 20-40 million. And don't forget Space Adventure's profit, they gotta be looking for 10-20 mill on something like this.

[Shell Beau]

7. I don't like to fly on a plane at 30,000 feet. I

seriously doubt I would have to courage to do it. It would be cool though.

[ghostsofgiants]

9. No, I would feed, clothe and house as many poor as I could

To quote (or maybe paraphrase) David Cross: "A man on the moon? How about we put a man in an apartment first?"

[chelsea0011]

22. LOL! Cross is funny.

[Left Is Write]

13. No way, no how.

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Absolutely!

[One_Life_To_Give]

15. Is the Pope Catholic! Of course I would! n/t

[Deep13]

16. Not enough $$ for lunar trip.

Apollo cost over $30 billion in 1970 dollars. You can't go for a mere $100 million.

[Rising Phoenix]

17. sounds like a wast of money to me

[caty]

18. No--

I would set up trust funds for all my friends and family.

[crispini]

20. YES.

In a heartbeat.

[Ladyhawk]

21. Hell no.

There are much better ways to spend that kind of money.

[Jamastiene]

24. Precisely. n/t

[Jamastiene]

23. No, I would use the money to finally move to the west coast

and settle down and landscape my nice sized yard to my heart's content. I would have the garden of my dreams, the music studio of my dreams, the playroom of my cats' dreams, the greenhouse of my dreams, and a custom guitar made by Waybe Charvel personally.

No way I'd waste it to get motion sickness of the worst kind. I can see the moon from here and I can see earth up close and personal. That's the way I think I would enjoy Earth the best. Up close and personal and Mother Earth would maybe enjoy me decorating and grooming her instead of leaving her, I think, I hope.

[LionInWinter]

25. No, I'd fill BOTH of my family's cars with gas.

:P

[Dukkha]

26. you don't even get to land on the moon!

that's like driving to all the way to Key West and not getting out to walk on the beach.

Sadly there's probably two greedy selfish morans that would actually blow $200 million together to make the trip. There are some who own $200M yachts and homes.

It's a waste of money towards the space program too. Our efforts are better focused right now on unmanned explorers on Mars and other worlds. The shuttle program is probably better to be scrapped too simply because spacecraft is based on antiquated technology and a newer more efficient ship should be developed.