[meteorite-list] Mission to Bring Back Soil Samples from Mars Gets 2018 L...

[MeteorHntr at aol.com]

Wow, 

Only $4.5 Billion (up to $8B) to  return a single 500 gram SNC specimen!

That would be $9 Million to $16  Million per gram.

How many DIFFERENT SNC specimens could be found on  planet Earth if 
$8,000,000,000 would be spent on hunting for them over the same  period of time this 
project would take?

Maybe a new, un-terrestrialized  SNC would offer some new information that a 
Martian meteorite wouldn't, but $8  Billion dollars worth?

Call me a bit skeptical, but I kind of doubt that  any information would be 
worth that much.  Especially if we are going to  put humans on the surface of 
Mars a couple of years later. 

1% of $8  Billion would only be $80,000,000.

I bet we meteorite hunters  collectively could find 50 new different Martian 
meteorites for $80,000,000 if  someone would put up the reward money.  And 
science would learn MORE from  those 50 than they would from one single one.

Where do I apply to compete  for some of this crazy grant money?  Somebody 
help me get  some!

Steve Arnold #1




Only In a message dated  7/10/2008 8:30:10 P.M. Central Daylight Time, 
baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov  writes:

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Mission_to_bring_back_soil_samples_from_Mars_
gets_2018_la
APF
July  9, 2008


Its authors said that, regardless of the start date, it would  take five
years for the precious 500-gramme (1.1-pound) sample to be brought  back
to Earth and space powers had to pool resources to achieve  the
extraordinary goal.

The document says the cost would roughly range  from 4.5 to eight billion
dollars (three to 5.3 billion euros), "depending on  the final
requirements and international cooperative structure."  




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