[meteorite-list] Mission to Bring Back Soil Samples from Mars Gets 2018 L...

From: MeteorHntr at aol.com <MeteorHntr_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:51:51 EDT
Message-ID: <cc7.373464d3.35a816b7_at_aol.com>

Wow,

Only $4.5 Billion (up to $8B) to return a single 500 gram SNC specimen!

That would be $9 Million to $16 Million per gram.

How many DIFFERENT SNC specimens could be found on planet Earth if
$8,000,000,000 would be spent on hunting for them over the same period of time this
project would take?

Maybe a new, un-terrestrialized SNC would offer some new information that a
Martian meteorite wouldn't, but $8 Billion dollars worth?

Call me a bit skeptical, but I kind of doubt that any information would be
worth that much. Especially if we are going to put humans on the surface of
Mars a couple of years later.

1% of $8 Billion would only be $80,000,000.

I bet we meteorite hunters collectively could find 50 new different Martian
meteorites for $80,000,000 if someone would put up the reward money. And
science would learn MORE from those 50 than they would from one single one.

Where do I apply to compete for some of this crazy grant money? Somebody
help me get some!

Steve Arnold #1




Only In a message dated 7/10/2008 8:30:10 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov writes:

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Mission_to_bring_back_soil_samples_from_Mars_
gets_2018_la
APF
July 9, 2008


Its authors said that, regardless of the start date, it would take five
years for the precious 500-gramme (1.1-pound) sample to be brought back
to Earth and space powers had to pool resources to achieve the
extraordinary goal.

The document says the cost would roughly range from 4.5 to eight billion
dollars (three to 5.3 billion euros), "depending on the final
requirements and international cooperative structure."




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Received on Thu 10 Jul 2008 09:51:51 PM PDT