2014 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: Selling Space

[ecat]

History, humour, speculation, a smattering of politics (sorry mods, it is just a smattering), economics, numbers, some tough questions and a couple of incidents of near slander. It may be a little slow to get going but a seriously good watch.

Enjoy:

[Streetwind]

Bookmarked for when I have time next weekend

[Tommygun]

I just watched the first 45 minutes, it's interesting, I'll watch the rest tomorrow.

[ecat]

It picks up pace and entertainment value in the second 45 minutes, even the final 25 minutes Q&A has some squirming uncomfortably in their seats.

Some of the highlights:

Elon Musk: High on credit but low on credibility?

Should serious businessmen be allowed to speak outside the board room? Comments that sound egregious when removed from the sycophantic cocoon.

Are we so invested in our economic system that we find it impossible to even imagine an alternative?

America: Motivations for space exploration.

How a fall of 1mm was declared 'death defying'

Where does all the money go? Hint: It doesn't vanish into space.

Do you have an asteroid containing $16trillion of platinum? How to make the most of your investment.

[rkman]

Do you have an asteroid containing $16trillion of platinum?

It's that much probably because it costs 15 trillion to get it to Earth.

[Streetwind]

The projected cost is well under 15 billion, actually. The company aiming to mine it says that the price of an offshore oil rig (between 1 and 2 billion dollars) is enough to get started.

Obligatory caveat: they're still developing the actual spacecraft and likely won't be finished with that before 2018... and while they speculate that such an asteroid exists with a very high percentage chance, they have to actually find one (again, because the hardware is still being developed).

[Nibb31]

The projected cost is well under 15 billion, actually. The company aiming to mine it says that the price of an offshore oil rig (between 1 and 2 billion dollars) is enough to get started.

There's what you tell to venture capital investors and then there's reality.

Find a single major aerospace project, government or commercial, that cost less than 15 billion dollars.

[rkman]

If nothing else the video confirms my suspicion as to the origin of the "to risk averse" meme. That's the commercial sector trying to encourage people/the government to spend more tax money on things that the commercial sector would benefit from. If it would be about their own money and their own lives they would not have to tell others to be less risk averse.

[Nibb31]

After watching the video, these guys were all worked up about making money in space, but not one of them suggested an actual way to make money in space. DeGrasse Tyson seemed skeptical about the whole idea, and rightly so IMO.

[Streetwind]

That part is on Planetary Resources' shoulders to prove, yes. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see...

[Nibb31]

Planetary Resources' business model is to make Powerpoint Presentations and YouTube clips in order to raise funding for more Powerpoint Presentations and YouTube clips.

That's common for most of the so-called "New Space" sector.