[meteorite-list] NASA could sell...

From: Michael Gilmer <*meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com*> Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:30:41 -0400 Message-ID: <BANLkTikP8PB7iY3t3u0r=XXHJNW2ScaGjw_at_mail.gmail.com> · meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com

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On 6/26/11, MexicoDoug <mexicodoug at aim.com> wrote:
> Hi Steve -
>
> Who are "The People"?
>
> First, NASA is only a custodian; from the documented worthless
> statistics department (my shameless turn, data from SNAP) to illustrate
> why the government hiccups so much when divesting anything -
>
> As of this today, "The People", 45 million Americans, to make one
> simple example, receive food stamps at an annual cost of over $72
> billion dollars. Now, if they can't eat and the government has to rob
> Peter to pay Paul, it is the primary duty of the government to insure a
> sea of domestic tranquility, not a tasty sample here and there of Lunar
> Tranquility. The government of all great countries doesn't do too bad a
> job at that at providing for the people and that dream is alive! But
> the moment you start talking divestments of government assets, the
> priorities are for a nation, not a special interest group like us of
> space junkies. Hence the real genesis of the magical term, national
> treasure, i.e., you toucha da asset the people breaka ya face.
>
> Governments understand taxes, and taxes alone. They'd much rather vote
> a luxury tax on meteorites and public domain memorabilia to finance the
> space program. After all, income from reselling of meteorites is like a
> renewable resource and taxes theoretically can always be repealed, but
> selling extraterrestrial samples in the vault is a one time deal with
> only blame as the result, even if you do a bang-up job.
>
> Put another way, when divesting "national treasures" democracy is two
> famished men and a fat, innocent lamb voting on what to have for dinner
> ...
>
> Best wishes
> Doug
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Schoner <schoner at mybluelight.com>
> To: mexicodoug at aim.com
> Cc: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Sun, Jun 26, 2011 5:53 pm
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] NASA could sell...
>
>
> "Of the People, by the People, and for the People"
>
> That was once a dream, the aims of a unique, singular government for
> those that
> founded this great Country.
>
> It is up to us "the People" to keep that dream alive.
>
> It can happen... It is up to us to make it so.
>
> Steve
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------
> From: MexicoDoug <mexicodoug at aim.com>
> To: schoner at mybluelight.com, Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] NASA could sell...
> Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2011 17:18:48 -0400
>
> Steve S wrote:
>
> "I have dreamt of this for years. Just a dream... But you never know...
> ...
> and for them, their trust will increase as the voids left from these
> sales fill
> with new specimens from asteroids, Mars and the moon when funded
> missions return
> with new samples."
>
> Hi Steve - A very beautiful dream ... but I just had a nightmare. When
> have you ever known any government to make a profit off any of its
> endeavors? Is the model to be the selling off energy credits back to
> the grid? (If so we could all trade RECs with the government). The only
> place the proceeds would go short-term would be to maintain a larger
> staff to maintain the program itself if I understand how government
> works, then the lawsuits, then avoid cutbacks at JSC, other NASA places
> like it (of course vesting more individual into it that abhor the idea
> of losing the treasures which keeping in the storage helps keep their
> job, or so they mistakenly believe until the funds get cut anyway ... ).
>
> But then, the general government fund registers and instead of the
> politician on the white horse riding in and saving us, one comes in in
> the cash-hungry shadows with with stealth-refined radar as soon as the
> first decimal over six-figures comes in - and would raid the earning to
> pay off the foreign debt and in the process cutting the programs that
> were half way along and depended on it, cause the new director of NASA
> to resign and everyone to go into private industry, frustrating the
> dickens out of all the scientists and international partners and
> turning us all into cynics ;-)
>
> Wouldn't it be a whole lot simpler for a private company to mount one
> time Lunar expedition in which all these potential buyers could even be
> shareholders if you like, vs. expecting a utopian government?
>
> Kindest wishes
> Doug
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Schoner <schoner at mybluelight.com>
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Sun, Jun 26, 2011 4:48 pm
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] NASA could sell...
>
>
> Right, And I am serious about it.
>
> Everything, meteorites included. NASA keeps up to half the stock for
> science
> and releases the rest through a public GSA auction.
>
> And to prove provenance of the specimens encapsulate them with a
> statement of
> what the sample is, its weight, origin, NASA logo and s/n. There should
> be a
> fine print statement on the back of that encapsulated label warning
> that if
> capsule is broken the sample then loses its provenance, and thus its
> intrinsic
> value, and that NASA will not confirm the identity of broken lucite
> encapsulated
> specimens.
>
> These NASA presentation capsules can be patterned after those that were
> previously made and distributed to other Nations or institutions, or
> made from a
> different design.
>
> I have dreamt of this for years. Just a dream... But you never know...
> Maybe
> some Senator or Congressman will see the merit of releasing some, up to
> half the
> stock to the General Public, ostensibly to fund NASA. And maybe some of
> those
> protecting this so called "National Treasure" at JSC will see merit in
> it too.
> And for them, their trust will increase as the voids left from these
> sales fill
> with new specimens from asteroids, Mars and the moon when funded
> missions return
> with new samples.
>
> We all have to let go in life. We leave everything behind, and move on.
> Our
> Government should realise this as well. Those rocks in the course of
> human
> history will be dispersed, one way or another, it will happen.
>
> Why not let it happen now a bit at a time... When those with the
> resources can
> plunk down millions for a piece of moon rock from each of the Apollo
> Missions,
> rare meteorites included, so that exploration can continue and humanity
> as a
> whole can move on.
>
> Not all will be able to afford what could be offered, but those that
> can will
> and maybe plunk down more than most would ever pay for such
> encapsulated
> specimens.
>
> I saw Apollo 11 live in 1969 awed to be alive to see it. The moon for
> me
> changed in one day, for Man had finally set his footprint there. And
> ever since
> I have waited to see our steps on the moon again and by now mars...
>
> "We Came In Peace For All Mankind" was the statement on Eagle's plaque
> that Neil
> Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left on the Moon...
>
> It is past the time to let go of a portion of what they and the other
> Apollo
> astronauts brought back so that these funds will help to extend that
> message
> again to the moon and beyond.
>
> Steve Schoner
> Founding Member Emeritus IMCA #4470
> www.petroslides.com
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------
> From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
> To: Steve Schoner <schoner at mybluelight.com>
> Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] NASA could sell...
> Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:22:45 -0400
>
> Hi Steve and List,
>
> That is the best idea I have heard in a long time! And, it would
> completely vindicate Nininger!
>
> Put me down for a micro speck of ALH84001!
>
> Best regards,
>
> MikeG
>
> --
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> --------
> Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Meteorites & Amber (Michael Gilmer)
>
> Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
> Facebook - http://tinyurl.com/42h79my
> News Feed - http://www.galactic-stone.com/rss/126516
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> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> --------
>
>
> On 6/26/11, Steve Schoner <schoner at mybluelight.com> wrote:
>> Here is an idea that has been bandied about...
>>
>> NASA complains about lack of funds for further exploration.
>>
>> But they sit on a 856 lbs of Apollo moon samples valued at 50K to 5
> million
>> per/gram.
>>
>> And there are many pieces that have been studied and no longer of
> scientific
>> use.
>>
>> Put them up in a legitimate government auction of public property.
>>
>> In fact they could cut in half every specimen that have at hand
> sitting in
>> their vaults and maybe even fund another manned mission to the moon
> or even
>> to Mars.
>>
>> And all the while they waste tax-payer money chasing down holders of
>> inconsequential milligrams of lunar dust on swatches of tape.
>>
>> Steve Schoner
>> IMCA #4470
>>
>> P.S. I open this with the exercise of figuring out what 400 lbs of
> Apollo
>> rocks, soil and dust might bring on the open market, either by set
> price as
>> currently established on the open market for the very few Apollo
> samples in
>> public domain, or as might be realised in an open Government sponsored
>> auction.
>>
>> Should be interesting to see what the results might be.
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________
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