HOUSE BILL: Enceladus Mission Probe Funding (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
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Sponsor: Haslam2020
House Designation: HB 1150

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to commence and advocacy for this, and the other members have and additional 48 hours to respond with their initial comments and questions.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I'll wait to dive into the substance of the bill until the sponsor has had chance to make his opening remarks, but as someone whose field of expertise lies well apart from the moons of Saturn, I wonder if there is a particular reason Enceladus has been selected for this program?

[VPH]

This seems random, but I'll hear you out, Haslam2020.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Well, our Space Program needs a future gentleman, there's no better place than Enceladus, and it's ripe for discovery. Enceladus, yes, it's far off. But we should try for things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Enceladus is a small moon in the Saturnian System, and it has an underwater saltwater Ocean the size of the Pacific under its icy surface. But it's not just salt water. It's warm salt water. Literally, just as much as our largest Ocean on Earth. It most likely has underwater volcanoes, and with all of this... It seems like the most likely place in our Solar System to host life. Enceladus, specifically will be selected for this Program because all the conditions are there. We should see if anyone's home. For 6 billion dollars, we could potentially answer a question that goes as far back as time. Are we alone? Let's figure out boys, let's figure out. Let's get that new sense of discovery rolling again.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Let's go for this. We need to revitalize our sense of discovery and optimism as a nation, and the research and development caused by this investment will multiply many times over in other innovations which will help fuel our economy and make lives better and easier for our people. I suggest adding a clause that would guarantee protecting any alien lifeforms that we encounter which are not considered a threat to our mission or planet Earth since I wish avoid a genocide of a harmless alien species on the scale of that which happened upon contact between Europeans and Native Americans.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Let's go for this. We need to revitalize our sense of discovery and optimism as a nation, and the research and development caused by this investment will multiply many times over in other innovations which will help fuel our economy and make lives better and easier for our people. I suggest adding a clause that would guarantee protecting any alien lifeforms that we encounter which are not considered a threat to our mission or planet Earth since I wish avoid a genocide of a harmless alien species on the scale of that which happened upon contact between Europeans and Native Americans.

Thank you!! And we would never consider killing any alien lifeform, also the submarine would be completely free of any Earth bacteria!

[JGibson]

I know that this isn't an easy issue, but I am in support of this.

[RFayette]

I know that this isn't an easy issue, but I am in support of this.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am also inclined to support this, but I would like to ask what the basis is for those cost estimates?

[VPH]

Is this being conducted by the government entirely, or through contracts with private aerospace companies? If so, what accountability mechanisms could we propose to ensure that taxpayer dollars are respected?

[Illiniwek]

I am inclined to support this, however I just want to note that I think colonization efforts should be a higher priority. But as long as one doesn't prevent the other from happening, I am in favor of our space program getting additional funding for groundbreaking research opportunities.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

To answer some of my fellow colleagues questions':

Is this being conducted by the government entirely, or through contracts with private aerospace companies? If so, what accountability mechanisms could we propose to ensure that taxpayer dollars are respected?

Pretty much the Government. Companies are in this just to make a profit so far, look at the current plans for colonies on the Moon, Mars, and Titan. They all have the potential for profit money wise, but Enceladus. Our profit from this shall be symbolic, and also I guess money wise if you consider the creation of new jobs. We'll most likely have an answer to our lifelong question: "are we alone?".  Thank you!

I am inclined to support this, however I just want to note that I think colonization efforts should be a higher priority. But as long as one doesn't prevent the other from happening, I am in favor of our space program getting additional funding for groundbreaking research opportunities.

It won't slow down any colonization efforts, I may have a bill for a moon residence soon. It's a good first step, but the Enceladus Expedition won't be anything but discovery. Thanks!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

I am also inclined to support this, but I would like to ask what the basis is for those cost estimates?

The basis for the cost estimates are current space faring probes, and how we can be most efficient for the lowest amount possible. This should be enough to cover probe with a small subermissible, trust me!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Something to consider: suppose we do find life on Enceladus. What rights would these organisms — intelligent or otherwise — have, and how would we go about seeing that they are respected? It would be a tragedy indeed if we were discover life elsewhere in the solar system, only to extinguish it through carelessness.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Something to consider: suppose we do find life on Enceladus. What rights would these organisms — intelligent or otherwise — have, and how would we go about seeing that they are respected? It would be a tragedy indeed if we were discover life elsewhere in the solar system, only to extinguish it through carelessness.

We shall make a law that any life form killed on Enceladus is a brutal crime. We wouldn't interfere with it much. We could monitor if primitive, but have no right to guide its evolution.

[VPH]

Something to consider: suppose we do find life on Enceladus. What rights would these organisms — intelligent or otherwise — have, and how would we go about seeing that they are respected? It would be a tragedy indeed if we were discover life elsewhere in the solar system, only to extinguish it through carelessness.

We shall make a law that any life form killed on Enceladus is a brutal crime. We wouldn't interfere with it much. We could monitor if primitive, but have no right to guide its evolution.

My issue is that if there was some sort of patheogenic bacteria discovered, we then wouldn't be allowed to kill it, creating potential problems on earth.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Something to consider: suppose we do find life on Enceladus. What rights would these organisms — intelligent or otherwise — have, and how would we go about seeing that they are respected? It would be a tragedy indeed if we were discover life elsewhere in the solar system, only to extinguish it through carelessness.

We shall make a law that any life form killed on Enceladus is a brutal crime. We wouldn't interfere with it much. We could monitor if primitive, but have no right to guide its evolution.

My issue is that if there was some sort of patheogenic bacteria discovered, we then wouldn't be allowed to kill it, creating potential problems on earth.

Enceladus is far from Earth, it's in the Saturnian system, plus the probe would never return to Earth.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Any other concerns?

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

We should move this to a final vote!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I was under the impression that the sponsor was to introduce an amendment on the rights of alien life forms; in lieu of this, I propose the following:

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
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[Former Senator Haslam2020]

That's great! Any objections? If not, we needa move to a final vote!

[RFayette]

I think this is a good bill and will help advance a worthy cause of promoting colonization for the future, so I support this.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Friendly
Status: Representatives have 24 hours to object.

[VPH]

I object. I don't think that the rights afforded to people should be afforded to potential microbes on a planet's moon and I cannot vote for a bill which has that standard.