Why should the U.S. Continue to Pursue the Exploration of Space

What do we, as a Nation, get in return?

There are people in the U.S. that claim our National space program is a waste of money, and this money would be better spent; feeding the hungry, paying down the national debt, increasing spending on education, and the list of reasons goes on and on. The fact of the matter is the entire U.S. space program is only a tiny fraction of the overall yearly budget, estimated at somewhere between 0.7% and 0.8%. The American space program costs the average American less than $60 a year in taxes; that is less than the average person spends on food or entertainment or their cell phone bill each month! As for the benefits, the technological contributions we receive back for this small expenditure vastly outweighs the up front costs.

The American space program, from its earliest days through the present, has lead to thousands of technological advancements that are used everyday by our citizens. These new technologies have increased our national security, safety, lead to medical advancements, increased energy efficiency (which makes for a cleaner environment), saves lives, and increases our overall quality of life. Some of the technological benefits we have seen from the space program are:

Items used around the average American household
1) Better Insulation. Aluminum heat shields from the Apollo program are used in homes to drastically reduce home heating and cooling costs, making homes more energy efficient which leads to lower power consumption.
2) Smoke Detectors. These devices are standard in every home now, and were created for the Skylab space station in the early 1970’s.
3) Better satellite technology for worldwide communication and television broadcasts.
4) Small in home water purification systems were originally invented to purify water on early space missions.
5) Cordless power Tools. NASA asked Black and Decker to develop a cordless power tool for use by the Apollo astronauts to collect deeper core samples on the moon. This invention lead to the wide range of cordless power tools in use today, including the first dust busters.

Items leading to a cleaner environment
1) Satellite mapping used for forest management and weather.
2) Hydroponic systems for the growing of food sources.
3) Pollution measuring/smokestack monitor devices used in factories.
4) Advances in solar energy technology.

Items used by the medical field
1) Advancements in laser technology, now adapted to conduct laser heart and eye surgeries.
2) Better technologies used for conducting mammograms.
3) A spin-off from the Hubble Space Telescope has lead to a less intrusive and more method for conducting breast biopsies through digital imaging.
4) NASA developed technologies were adapted for use in CAT scan and MRI machines.
5) Infrared Thermometers. NASA technology used for measuring the heat of stars and distant planets was adapted for use in infrared thermometers common in every home and hospital today.

Advancements to aid in Firefighting and public safety
1) Lighter weight Respiration systems developed for Apollo astronauts were adapted for use in fire fighting.
2) Rescue jaws used by firefighters to quickly cut through doors and roofs in order to get to trapped accident victims inside.
3) Newer light weight and portable radiation detectors.
4) Personal alarm systems used by firemen, prison guards, the elderly, etc.
5) Self righting life rafts.
6) Doppler radar used for storm warning and tracking, to include wind shear detection used at major airports in the U.S.

The above list in not all inclusive; it is only a fraction of the items which were developed as a result of the U.S. space program. The total number of technological achievements gleaned from NASA space programs numbers in the thousands. Future missions planned for the moon and Mars will only aid in pushing technology further and serve as a catalyst for the next generation of technological advances that future generations will undoubtedly take for granted.

Check out the following sources for more information on this topic:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/science/f_apollo_11_spinoff.html
http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html
http://www.lunarproperties.com/page/28
http://techtran.msfc.nasa.gov/at_home.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2005-10-04-questions-answers-griffin_x.htm

Unique Gift Ideas for all Occasions

Recently, I was searching the Internet in an attempt to find a unique gift idea for my friend's baby shower and I came across a site called Lunar Properties selling Lunar Land Claims. I had never thought of property rights on the moon, nor had I thought about giving someone a piece of the moon as a gift before, but I was intrigued by the idea.

Many locations on the Moon were named by early astronomers and were given great names for gift giving; the Sea of Fertility, Bay of Love, Bay of Rainbows, Lake of Dreams, etc. I choose the Lake of Joy for my friend/soon to be mom and her baby. These names add to the attraction and uniqueness for giving Moon Property as a gift.

I decided to buy a moon Property Claim for my friend from Lunar Properties because this company offered the largest sized claims (1 hectare which equals 2.47 acres), were the low price leader with their free shipping (just $29.99 out the door), allowed me to choose the location from a list of 14 sites they currently offer, had a nice and informative web site, good looking documents (which is what you get to hold onto as part of your Lunar Registration package), and checkout was easy. This company made no crazy claims about outright owning the moon or trying to fund and build private moon bases; they just sold me the claim with a promise to try and influence future Lunar Property rights in favor of legally recognizing my claim. They also had a lot of good information and numerous links about the Moon.
Below are the important bullets for this company:
1) Large lots of 2.47 Acres standard
2) Customers choose the location from the 14 offered on the site
3) One price for all locations, $29.99 out the door, no extra charges

4) FREE shipping for Domestic U.S. locations
5) Easy to navigate the site and speedy checkout using PayPal or any credit card
6) Provided information about the moon with links to other websites See http://www.lunarproperties.com/ for more information.

So if you are looking for a unique and thoughtful gift, you might want to check out Lunar Properties and buy a Lunar Real Estate Claim. One thing is for sure; your gift will make a great conversation piece!

Are there Property Rights on the Moon?

There must be because I purchased a Moon Property claim through Lunar Properties, right?

Basically, Property Rights on the Moon are still under debate but Lunar Properties may be able to use its influence to encourage Moon Property ownership rights in favor of recognizing its customers claims as this debate continues. The United Nations (UN) tried to solve this question when it drafted a policy prohibiting ownership of all objects in outer space (including planets and Moons) between 1972 and 1979. This policy was controversial to say the least, and was only ratified by a handful of countries in 1984. The UN policy is not taken seriously though because none of the countries with viable a space program have signed it, therefore the debate about ownership of the Moon and other celestial bodies rages on. See the following links for more information regarding Outer Space property rights:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty
http://www.space-settlement-institute.org/jalcpr.htm
http://www.lunarproperties.com/

This debate will most likely continue until some Country, or Company, builds a permanent Lunar Settlement and claims ownership. Once this type of settlement occurs, it will prompt the world's leading space exploring countries to settle this debate once and for all. In the end, money, mining rights, and actual possession of the land will undoubtedly play a key role in deciding how to develop and occupy the Moon.