Discussion on:

It's time to build the USS Enterprise

This might sound a little crazy but I think this guy is onto something. I thought that the retirement of the shuttle program without a craft to replace it was one of the worst decisions that we have ever made as a county. We need something to inspire us and with that that get us a new foothold in space. I don't this a lot of us appreciate all the advances that were brought about because of the space program.

We would develop technology to fill a specific need in space then we would find dozens of secondary applications for a tech here on earth.

Even if this craft is a complete failure, what can be learned from building it is more then worth it.

If anything it would be the biggest construction project since the great wall of china the jobs it would generate alone, the new industries and manufacturing methods we would have to develop not that could be the silver bullet to this recession.

As for making this thing look like the Enterprise, I dont think that there has ever been a more inspiring concept. Start Trek has probably inspired more people to become scientist, engineers, and astronauts then anything else. I dont think that we should build the Enterprise, I think we have too, we owe it to ourselves and to Gene Rodenberry.

There's talk of infinite life expectancy within the next several decades, if we can't get off this planet soon we'll suffer the fate of all creatures who out grow their surrounding environment.

It's cute; but it's unsound from a practicality and astronautical engineering standpoint. The liquid droplet radiator is just plain stupid. Radiation at that level produces significant thrust. What you'd end up with is a pinwheeling ship, uncontrolable and going nowhere fast.

You want to build a real battleship, we can do a Michael (Footfall, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle). It has the advantage of being possible, practical, and doable with current technology. Although rather dirty on take off.

If all you want is an efficient (relatively) slow speed ship, something like Discovery (2001), using a ion drive would work.

Very exciting idea, yet simple and achieveable. But how to do it?

If the govt gets into it, it will be over-taxed, over-regulated, over-politicized, over-schedule and over-cost. We do not even know this internet were are talking on will be here tomorrow or that we will be allowed to login.

Buy an island? Use only private funding? Internal organization? Protection? Infrastructure? Etc.? Lot to think about.

will be non-existent within a decade, simply because the project will be all expenditure and no income.

I would certainly assume one funding source would by itself be insufficient. You may need 100 or 1000 or 10,000, but so what? This is a unique singular opportunity, not to be found elsewhere or perhaps never again. Our problem will be making sure they understand they buy nothing but their name on a list - no participation, no control, no stock. It can be done. As the idea catches, I would think funding would go through a critical mass after which it is the least of our problems.

Additionally, should human life on earth become nonviable what is your solution?

you overlook that the only source of such funding is also the government.

My solution should human life on Earth become non-viable? What I hope is that humans would be able to get past their differences and agree on something before that point is reached. What I expect is the same kind of selfish, ego-driven crap the US is currently seeing in the political realm, with the ultimate result being extinction.

To prove your point, analyze which of the Fortune 500 relied upon the govt for funding for their start up phase?

Stockholders.

you understood what you said, but I don't.

The govt has no charter from the Constitution to start or fund businesses.

You would naturally be totally opposed to all the existing tax breaks, subsidies, beneficial laws, and other government assistance accruing to business. Except, of course, procurement contracts.

A project such as this would require decades of guaranteed expenditures with almost no return. What private investor could tolerate such a long-term investment for such a very small chance of return on investment? Particularly without any chance of some form of tax subsidy?

Ill put in $100.If I can Earn 1 1millionith return on the Overspending !!! By MY Calculations, Id be worth a Trillion YEN !

an eternal full-employment program for all kinds of engineers, mostly. If it isn't going to go anywhere at "warp speed" -- a.k.a. "faster than light" -- then it won't be anything but a (opium) pipe dream. What, really, could it be other than a monument to extant technology and hackneyed television scripting -- in other words, a monumental waste of money.

As with all things, the devil is in the details and at the end of the Money trail. Otherwise, it is long overdue and could have been done years ago, if not for the perceived adverse impact to current core economic entities. All so, someone would have to open the paperclip vault and release the info and designs on the Electro Magnetic propulsion / shielding system for this to become a viable proposal???

Great idea! Let's do it!