news.yahoo.com — Rivals for lunar conquest four decades ago, Russia hopes to join the U.S. moon exploration program with technology and know-how. NASA said Monday that it would send a four-astronaut crew to the moon in 2020 and set up an international base camp on one of the moon's poles that would be permanently staffed by 2024.
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phil246Dec 8, 2006
@raskalz"to carry such a radioactive element, you would need a 40 killo lead casing"Actually, Polonium 210 is an Alpha radiation emitter. Alpha radiation is easily blocked by something as thin as paper.You wouldnt need a heavy duty, lead lined case for an alpha or beta emitter, but you would for a gamma emitter.
tebixanDec 8, 2006
A federation of sorts would be cool, but as an American taxpayer, I really wish the other countries would pick up some of the slack as far as funding the international space ventures.Right now the US funds the majority of the UN and the international space station. The EU and China are gearing up to compete with the US for superpower status. However, they pay a fraction of what we do for the UN, ISS, any any peacekeeping or humanitarian efforts. I'm all for cooperating with other nations, but if you wanna play with the big boys, you need to have something more to offer than a pretty face.
Closed AccountDec 8, 2006
"The country that controls space will control the world. It is time for the US to take control of space"No, the country that controls space controls just that. Space.
andykramDec 8, 2006
Hey guys I want to go too! I offer whatever monetary funds I can spare, and my expertise in the area!
tebixanDec 8, 2006
okay, sorry, not a majority. I looked it up, and 22% is actually a contribution ceiling the UN has set for member states.<a class="user" href="http://www.un.org/geninfo/ir/index.asp?id=150">http://www.un.org/geninfo/ir/index.asp?id=150</a>scroll down about 2/3 of the way for a breakdownMy point was not to be condescending to the EU or anyone else. It would be great if the US, EU, Russia, China, Japan, Canada, and anyone else who wants to participate could all work together and do something really amazing up there. All I'm saying is that it would suck to get stuck with the entire cost, yet have everyone else saying they owned a part of it too because it was their idea to use 28 inch tires.
alphagregDec 8, 2006
Putin won't let any of his critics escape his death squad; even on the MOON!
allenhsmildenDec 9, 2006
That would imply that there was life once on the moon, since oil is a fossil fuel. You think fossil meant something else?
kevinarthDec 11, 2006
That's the kind of crap that kept the cold war going for so long. Lets get over it and start pooling our resources, human and otherwise.