US to invade Titan!

[matgb]

As a result of spy probe data released today by the ESA, US President George W. Bush had the following comment:

<speech style="speaker: George W. Bush; dialect: babbling idiot;">

There is new evidence that Osama bin Laden has been receiving material support from the Titanians. Our will is strong, our resolve unquenchable. We must take swift action to defeat this terrorist threat... from our neighbor to the West... wait... they're to the East now? Well, how did that happen? What do you mean it's night?

You mean to tell me that they can move their forces to the opposite side of the earth twice a day? How can we possibly win this war? We must reinstate the draft. It will take all our nation's strength to... what do you mean we're the ones who are moving? Oh. Never mind that little draft thing. You saw nothing, you heard nothing. Remember that, 'cuz if you don't, you might someday not be anything.

But we must stop these terrorists. If we don't stop them now, then one day, we might be singing Hail Titania or something like that, and we wouldn't want that, would we? If there's one thing we must not do, it is nothing, cuz when y'ain't doin' nothin', anything can happen.

</speech>

Oil crisis? What oil crisis, all we need to do is get to Titan and we've all the oil we need!^[1] More seriously, according to a comment at John's this is old news. Like, three or four years old. Any of the more informed astro-types reading this able to confirm?

Regardless, fairly interesting information, wonder if any of it would be usable? PLZCNWEBHVNG a space elevator soon?

---

[1] ETA: I was joking about importing the oil here people. SRSLY, I get that it's not the best idea...

Comments

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

If the decision were down to the Chimpanzee-in-Chief, he'd end up invading Taunton.

[matgb]

Which, on balance, may not actually be a bad thing...

[davidnm.livejournal.com]

That is a hilarious mental image! I wonder what all the drug-users would make of that?

Actually, they could say it was the War on Terror and the War on Drugs and call it a buy-one, get-one-free!

[missdiane.livejournal.com]

I really should be better at paying attention to what's going on in the world and politics and such but my brain just instantly thinks "Clash of the Titans!" and cringes at the thought of Dubya going off to battle with his helmet, sword and shield.

Though it would be nice if he could manage to get rid of Medusa *nodnod*

[matgb]

Dubya going off to battle with his helmet, sword and shield.

Now that's an image I really didn't need...

[misscoollinda.livejournal.com]

"Release the Kraken!"

[mooism.livejournal.com]

I can’t see how landing tonnes of highly flammable hydrocarbons on Earth from orbit would be particularly safe. If you want to burn it in space (with whose oxygen?) and beam the energy down, it would surely be cheaper to use a solar power satelite.

[matgb]

That's why a) it's before my "more seriously" bit and b) I want a space elevator which should take a chunk of the risk and expense out of it if it does happen.

But yeah, I agree. But if it gets the US and businesses thinking about exploring the resources of the system, then we're better off mid-term anyway, I've always thought we'd be best looking for ways to profit from exploration rather than doing it for just pure research..

[mooism.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but my first thought was whether we could use this for energy, too. It would be handy if it could be turned into rocket fuel, but I don’t know know or understand much about that.

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

I dare say the Solar System is full of all sorts of goodies that we could use. All we have to do is go out there and get it.

Unfortunately, with NASA actively blocking any real attempts to develop interplanetary travel (they're only really in the business of perpetuating Space Shuttle contracts these days) and the HUUUUUUGE cost of mounting such expeditions with the technology we have now, it aint going to happen any time soon. :(

[matgb]

I dunno, if there's profit to be made, someone will start looking for a way to do it as long as they're allowed—have you read any of Baxter's books? One of his characters has a corporation called "Bootstrap", set up to get up there and make a profit as cheaply as possible, it all makes sense internally.

Plus see above comment to mooism

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

There would have to be a LOT of profit in it though. Seriously, the money it would cost to start mining operations on Titan with the current space technology would probably bankrupt even America. And I doubt they'd ever get it approved in Congress anyway. Mars would be a much more likely destination, and even that would be insanely expensive.

The only way I can see this happening is if the Chinese set their sights on it and it sparks another Space Race. Which, y'know, isn't that far-fetched...

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

The climate is getting screwed over enough by burning the carbon sinks we have on Earth. Even if we could import hydrocarbons from Titan the results of adding carbon that never eas on Earth just doesn't bear thinking about.

While it has indeed been iirc three years since the Huygens lander provided proof of hydrocarbon lakes and rivers on Titan, the Voyager program found that Titan had an atmosphere of methane. Voyager 1 took lots of photos of the cloud deck, but sadly couldn't see through it.

[matgb]

Useful info, it's ages since I looked at the Voyager data, I was alwyas more interested in Io and Europa TBH.

Re first para? See my edit ;-)

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

Oh no, I want a space elevator to go get decent sized lumps of comets to dissect, insead of having to rely on tiny amounts from the Stardust mission (important though it is).

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

Yes, Europa's the place to go. Are there oceans under that ice? If so, is there life in them?

[davidnm.livejournal.com]

"...we might be singing Hail Titania or something like that..."

Scarily, I can picture the Dubya coming out with something like that. Although it might make Saturn feel a little 'misunderestimated' if the Yanks all end on a moon of Uranus instead!