EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY JUMPS ON THE MOON MINING BANDWAGON
Thanks to Mr. S.D. for sharing this one, for this is another confirmation that space has been collateralized, perhaps from an early period; the reason for my assertion? The European Space Agency has now publicly jumped on the Moon mining meme, and, if you'll read closely, another one as well:
Time to mine the moon, says European Space Agency
There are a number of statements that leaped off the page when I read them, and I hope they did you as well:
"There are already companies working on how 3D printing could help build infrastructure on the moon, as well as missions which are beginning to map its surface ahead of bids to drill for its resources.
"'We do not have decades to come up with answers to these important questions about exploring the moon," he said. "A fleet of international missions has already started to prospect and map the distribution of mineral resources, and water-ice.'
...
"Precursor landers can be operated in a coordinated robotic village, with in-situ use of resources, done with respect. This would prepare a sustainable and smart path towards humans living off the land in international lunar bases," he said.
"The moon is like the 8th continent of earth - it is only reasonable we want to mine it," he added, pointing out that this refers not only to minerals but mining for knowledge about earth's past as well as inspiring scientific leaps forward.
...
The possibility of mining the moon for resources, whether to use them on the moon itself or bring them back to earth, is not new. Scientists believe the rock could hold oxygen, hydrogen, iron and rare metals, as well as possibly helium 3, a resource which is rare on earth but which could be more common on the moon.
They believe it could be used to energise nuclear fusion reactions and provide vast amounts of energy in a process which avoids the radioactive waste of nuclear fission, the process used in nuclear power on earth currently.
While I've blogged previously about the prospects of 3-d printing for space exploration and infrastructure construction, what interests us here is that Europe is (1) sounding the meme of lunar mining, in concert with America and various corporations, but (2) cautioning that we need to examine the whole issue of privatization and corporatization of the Moon.
Now, in this context, note the curiously worded statement about "mining for knowledge about earth's past as well as inspiring scientific leaps forward." On first reading, this would simply appear to be the usual "scientific spectacle" that often accompanies such articles, and the clear implication is that the human exploration of the Moon might and probably would yield fascinating scientific information about the geological history of planets.
However, the peculiar wording of the statement implies another possibility: what if that "knowledge about the earth's past" and "inspiring scientific leaps forward" has nothing to do with geological discoveries at all? What if, rather, it be taken to mean the confirmation of artificial structures on the Moon, which have been suggested by any number of strange photographs from the age of the early Moon probes to the Apollo missions themselves? And what if, in turn, these confirmations would lead or fuel great "inspiring scientific leaps forward"? In other words, it strikes me as strange that the statement is carefully worded, so as to allow either interpretive possibility.
In that context then, the references to space privatization and corporatization, versus internationalization, have a peculiar point in common, for if such confirmations were discovered, either by a corporation or an international body, in either case the veil of secrecy would descend, for in the one instance it would be a proprietary secret and in the other subject to the vicissitudes of terrestrial geopolitics and any international agency overseeing such colonization. Chances are that such an agency would have a UN-like security council provision allowing participating nations a "veto" over any public disclosures of such discoveries.
And we can all guess at who might exercise that veto power first...
See you on the flip side...
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“What if, rather, it be taken to mean the confirmation of artificial structures on the Moon, which have been suggested by any number of strange photographs from the age of the early Moon probes to the Apollo missions themselves?” NO. They cannot confirm that because the random citizen with average intelligence will ask “Hum, why the previous missions ( US, Russia, China, EU…) found nothing? Coverage?”
OFF TOPIC:
This new crater in Siberia might turn out to be interesting:
http://io9.com/a-dramatic-260-foot-crater-has-mysteriously-appeared-in-1605939738
I am certainly no expert on these matters, but the deep, inside walls of this crater look so very smooth . . . .
“One website claims that it’s evidence “of the arrival of a UFO craft” to Earth.” BS. I’m really tired about the issue that some blogs/news programs assing UFO-phenomenology to every strange issue in the world. This results in the UFO phenomenon considered unserious.
so if it’s a matter of privatization, meaning there’s competition. any hopes for a cooperation atleast within the BRICSA? nevermind the breakaway civ., they’re probably way ahead of everybody now, even before The “first” man on the moon
Presumably in this century, we of Earth may not only confront the question of who among us could lay exclusive claim to the resources of the moon, or of the other planets and moons within our solar system, but also confront — or otherwise be confronted by — whether such successful Earth claimants enjoy an exclusive right to the system’s resources even against the claims of NON-Earthlings.
Could the local “natives” of any solar system be at liberty to divvy up that system’s resources however they saw fit? What if there were more than one advanced race in that system? Must they then negotiate, share these resources equally, or wage war? And what if we of Earth weren’t really native to this system — but the other race were? Or the other race had at least arrived here first?
Does indeed a Galactic Federation, whose rules of commerce and colonization must be abided, even now quietly preside over our unfolding space affairs? One would imagine, in any case, that a threshold soon must be crossed beyond which we of Earth could ALL be unmistakably apprised of the greater laws of conduct forcefully imposed by larger galactic “concerns” upon any of its “citizens”.
So, however interesting it may be to speculate about which regional Earth power(s) will dominate space and hoard all of its resources, I’d like to think that any focus upon the future commercialization of space using only the traditional, geopolitical angle betrays a bit too much “earthnocentrism”; and that of far more interest for any relatively well-informed watcher might be the eventual assertion and the ultimate settling of any “third-party” claims.
The moon also has H3 in vast quantities. So, besides serious amounts of solar power, it has a vast quantities of energy for production and transport for mfg. Let’s not forget if there is water in sufficient quantities. Then human habitation and H2 production is a given. Too bad we don’t know what other resources are there. But, we’re not in that club.
In this perspective what is being proposed is again a “Managed Perspective” of a meme viewpoint for the masses. This perspective has been being “seeded” for some and is now being prepped for “harvest. On the other side of the coin that is rund and sphere at the same time[perspective]; is the Dark Side of the moon. No doubt some manner of cloak has been engineered & is know ready for a “wet” run. So the symbolism is replete with deception, even to the points of light being used by an artist to render both the light & the shade against the reality of darkness in which the trained eye sees only the light. Those in the know, know there is a Dark Side to this commercialization of space and it bear a wicked fruit: Profit-Prophetic Pathetic / Private-Public Partnership
Just wondering where the space equivalent of Port Royal or that town of Luke Skywalker will be located. And what the space equivalent of the Brethren of Coast will call themselves and East India Companies of space name themselves too.
If they want to do another “1492” on the Moon like they did for the Americas, they might have another “think” coming, with at least more potential awareness about the scramble for space and its potentials. Of course, the lid could be kept down better IF the oligarchs in all the space powers came to some agreement (secret, of course).