Mood:
on fireTopic: Kickstarting this baby.
The really big issue with this project is ofcourse money. We aren't raising funds for a community swimming pool here. Orion is an interstellar space vehicle. It's going to take a little more than a raffle and a weekend fete.
But hey, no point in being negative. We have to start somewhere. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know how much money is needed.
I do have this neat little Orion Cost Calculator courtesy of an old friend.
The Queen Elizabeth 2 cost #30 million to build back in 1969. More recently the world?s biggest cruise ship, which was only just completed, called the Queen Mary 2 is expected to be around #518m. That's about US$750m. This 344 metre-long ship will carry 2,800 passengers and measure 23 stories high. Rolls-Royce has already signed a deal to provide engines for the new super-liner.
Raising that sort of wealth seems impossible and it's best not to think about it too hard. What I can do is put up advertising here and direct the money earned towards the project. It's a start. Every click on these pages will then earn cash towards realising the dream and I'll post regular updates of the amount raised. Why do I hear laughter? Ok, yes, it's small change but as I said, it's a start. I have a few other ideas. Orion T-shirts with the web domain printed on them is one. If you can think of anything else let me know. If enough of a ball gets rolling on this we might be able to scrounge some free advertising from the media outlets. Aren't they always looking for bizarre tales? This certainly fits the bill. It's a long road ahead but we've taken the first step.
It's interesting to note that this is not the first starship fund in existance. A very serious effort conducted by the British Interplanetary Society has been running for decades. Money earned from magazine subscriptions is being directed towards the construction of Daedalus. A 1970's version of Orion.