Star Trek Enterprise - what it would cost to build

[pixy0stix]

Engineer: Star Trek’s Enterprise ship could be built in 20 years at a cost of $1 trillion

news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/engineer-star-trek-enterprise-ship-could-built-20-173540774.html

Whether you're a Trekkie or not, you have to admit that there's some sense of wonder toexploring the stars and trying to find life on distant planets. Of course, the U.S.S. Enterprise is a fictional ship, but have you ever put in the thought as to what it would take to actually build it, and when we could get it done if we really put in the effort? The man behind the well-researched site buildtheenterprise.org has, and he's determined that a fully functional Enterprise is only 20 years away if we put in the effort.

Created by a systems and electrical engineer with 30 years' experience, the BuildTheEnterprise site sets out a very specific timeline for the research and construction of such a massive space-related undertaking. The first nine years are dedicated to research, component testing, and drawing up a number of possible blueprints. The following 11 years are dedicated to development, where components will be manufactured and launched into space for assembly.

On year 20, the ship would be ready for a "moon fly by" with full crew and supplies. The plan may seem overly ambitious, but consider that we're already using a number of gadgets that were all but predicted by the Star Trek television series.

The estimated cost of building the Enterprise: about $50 billion a year for the next 20 years — $1 trillion in total. That sounds like a lot of money (because it is), but considering that the United States spent nearly that much on the controversial Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to bail out banks in 2008, putting a trillion towards making Star Trek a reality suddenly doesn't seem as ludicrous. Yeah, it's still pretty ludicrous, but in a reallycool way.

Asides from the benefits of exploring space, the creator of BuildTheEnterprise believes that the mammoth project would have benefits here on Earth as well. "Above all else — the Enterprise will inspire us," explains the creator. "And some of those inspired by this undertaking will surely be American young people — many of whom will likely become motivated to pursue careers as scientists and engineers." You know, so long as creating a warp drive doesn't wipe out all life in the known universe, as predicted.

[meshaliuknits]

STEAL! When do we start?

[pixy0stix]

Right now of course!

[doctordonna]

But we still have 50 years until Zephram Cochrane makes Earth's first warp flight.

[meshaliuknits]

Can we just have someone from the future send the schematics back in time to an earlier period?

[pixy0stix]

No, that would mess up the time/space continuum. Development has to take it's natural course.

[msmerymac]

[miesl]

May 18, 2012 15:29:30 GMT -5 doctordonna said:

But we still have 50 years until Zephram Cochrane makes Earth's first warp flight.

Yeah, not looking forward to the war that leads up to him making the Phoenix out of a nuke. (Wow, the geekometer maxed out on that one).

[meshaliuknits]

No! It's the intended outcome for a guy who looks suspiciously like the guy from Shaun of the Dead to accidentally send the schematics back in time while attempting to order Haggis from the replicator.

[doctordonna]

May 18, 2012 16:44:05 GMT -5 miesl said:

May 18, 2012 15:29:30 GMT -5 doctordonna said:

But we still have 50 years until Zephram Cochrane makes Earth's first warp flight.

Yeah, not looking forward to the war that leads up to him making the Phoenix out of a nuke. (Wow, the geekometer maxed out on that one).

True, but we'll then make contact with the Vulcans and be on our way to a society that doesn't use money as currency!

[doctorwho]

May 18, 2012 16:35:35 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Here lies all incarnations of doctorwho.
Wibbly Wobbly.
Fin.

[josieposy]

So would it run on regular gas? I mean dilithium is pretty hard to come by right?

[Spock]

May 18, 2012 16:32:34 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

No, that would mess up the time/space continuum. Development has to take it's natural course.

The Ephraim Cochrane timeline is an alternate reality initiated by a burst of tachyon radiation from a supernova in the Deseron system, there would be no violation of the temporal prime directive in receiving the plans. The Vulcan high command would be super pissed, but.

[Deleted]

May 18, 2012 20:41:09 GMT -5 josieposy said:

So would it run on regular gas? I mean dilithium is pretty hard to come by right?

You know, I was going to post something stupid about the Remans being tough customers, but I've really got nothing. No, that's not true--I've got massive shame from even being able to participate in this thread.

[noodleoo]

This is my favorite thread ever!

[earlgreyhot]

Would we start at the Enterprise of the prequel series, or jump to the original series?

**modified after posting to soon.

[doctordonna]

We should start with the Chris Pine/Zachary Quinto/Benedict Cumberbatch alternate universe series.