Lately I’ve heard that NASA is looking for ways to raise money from private sources. That’s because they are loosing millions or billions of dollars a year. They’re about ready to sell a ride on a shuttle to a guy named Shuttleworth. It’s worth twenty million to him.

Well I have often wondered what would have happened if in 1969 NASA would have left something a little more useful on the moon and not just a lunar rover and a flag. I thought something simple like a solar powered ‘Time and Temperature’ machine that could be called and would tell the caller the temperature and lunar time, whatever that is. The purchaser would hear the message live and receive a recording of the message as heard on the moon that would include a few seconds of the callers voice, the only voice on the moon during their 15 seconds of fame. Rights to all messages would belong to NASA and could be heard live at science centers. It gives new meaning to the phrase ‘raising you voice’.

Since the 70’s, when I first thought of this, technology has come a long way. Now I think you could get live video with that. They could have a powerful amplifier with some special streamers in front of it so that you could actually see your voice resinating. The whole thing could be made available on the internet and open to anyone to use or just view.

The cost of a message would not be cheap but surely in reach of most of the world’s population, for a special occasion. There would be marriage proposals, special business announcements, birthdays, graduations, or just parties, whatever. Everybody must get mooned. If this thing stayed busy 24/7 it could take in several trillion dollars in the first couple years. I was around when men went to the moon and I am still in awe. It seems such a waste that there was never a large financial payoff.
-- oyea6, Apr 25 2002

The Moon is for sale http://www.moonshop.com/
Lovely setting on 1 acre, no amenities. [dag, Apr 25 2002]

Yep, mars too.. http://www.marsshop.com/
And more expensive than the moon! I wonder if I get a deal for a solar system real estate package. [dag, Apr 25 2002]

Moon theater http://www.halfbake...idea/Moon_20Theater
[mrthingy, Apr 25 2002, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Before you sink a few trillion in this, you might want to consider finding a destination planet with an atmosphere capable of carrying sound.
-- spartanica, Apr 25 2002


That may have looked like dust UB but they were nanobots. In the book, the alien "motebots," deposited in clumps across the lunar surface, acted as the first line offensive outlook for the invading alien force. The organic-motion "dance" was just them rapidly changing the orientation of their self-organized "array antennae" as they communicated with the inbound alien craft.  Admittedly, it wasn't very well explained in the movie.
-- bristolz, Apr 25 2002


(heh)
-- snarfyguy, Apr 25 2002


Daaamn [bristolz]. And I thought *I* was geeky....
-- phoenix, Apr 25 2002


//Well I have often wondered what would have happened if in 1969 NASA would have left something a little more useful on the moon and not just a lunar rover and a flag.//
Actually, I remember seeing a Hasselblad advert in Time magazine years ago which told that one of the astronauts left a camera on the moon and you could have it at no charge. All you had to do was go and get it.
-- angel, Apr 25 2002


You have to admit, sometimes "Bristolz" is just too good to be human...Where does she get this stuff? And how many research people are on her staff?
-- jurist, Apr 25 2002


If America can put men on the moon they can find a way to make vibrations visible up there and they shouldn't have to send a maned flight. It wouldn't have to cost any more than some of the flights used to, so boldly, litter the universe and spit trash into the face of our origin, without knowing the possible consequences. If America would build it they would come. Where's that spirit that got men there in the first place? This may seem like a foolish idea but that's never kept people from spending money. This is to put money back into NASA not to impress anyone with wisdom.
-- oyea6, Apr 25 2002


//they shouldn't have to send a maned flight.//

Wigs for spacecraft. Now *that's* a halfbaked idea.
-- stupop, Apr 25 2002


I'm pickin' up good vibrations
She's giving me excitations

And you want it on the moon. Good, if possible.
-- neelandan, Apr 25 2002


//The cost of a message would not be cheap but surely in reach of most of the world’s population//

I'd think really hard about that statement if I were you.
-- DrBob, Apr 25 2002


but, hardly really thinking is...
-- mymus, Apr 25 2002


"some of the flights used to, so boldly, litter the universe"
Wow, what a superbly constructed split infinitive *with* adverb qualifier! I will be forwarding this page to the language department of the FBI.
-- sappho, Apr 25 2002


[oyea6] NASA isn't getting $20 million. They are only getting a small portion of it. The Russians are getting the majority of the funds. At this time NASA doesn't have much interest in going back to the moon. You might check with the Chinese, they have been trying to plan for a manned moon mission.
-- dag, Apr 25 2002


<peevish onset>  [jurist]: Is it bad for me to have an imagination? (or my staff?) </peevish onset>
-- bristolz, Apr 25 2002


[ravenswood] Make sure your not defacing someone's beloved moon property with your graffiti. Severely demented, but currently selling for about $16 an acre. [Link] I'm sure Mars is for sale somewhere too! Don't think your deed will stand up to an earthly court of law though.
-- dag, Apr 25 2002


There is an old Judge Dredd story about projecting laser images on the moon from Mega City One. So moon messaging is a bit of an old idea.
-- Aristotle, Apr 25 2002


My circuits dead, there’s something wrong Can you hear me Major Tom can you hear ….. What, "One small step for man"? Where are you? I must of dreamed that.
-- oyea6, Apr 25 2002


[oyea6]: Was your idea to have powerful speakers and streamers out in the open on the moon or in some sort of pressurized enclosure?

Radio communications "One small step . . ." does not seem to be the same as the acoustic thing you are describing.
-- bristolz, Apr 25 2002


//I must of dreamed that//
Must *have*! Grr!
-- angel, Apr 26 2002


I didn't write the recipe in concrete. It could be altered to a system that would just bounce a message back from that special spot where it could include a live picture of the flag and some sort of memorial of the men who went there. From the looks of some of the bulging neck veins on you people I'm begining to think there is nothing flexable in your heads.
-- oyea6, Apr 27 2002


Yes, it is very common for newcomers to blame everyone else here for not understanding, or being critical of, their idea.  Often, the poster then resorts to insulting remarks about "you people" being idiots or intolerant or whatever; when what all anyone is asking for is some additional explanation or clarity.  It's a tiresome pattern.
-- bristolz, Apr 27 2002



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