| Beaming data to the moon-it sounds intriguing, but is it | | | | the world that rebuilding the economy is possible. The |
| really the answer to offsite backup? | | | | companies that had invested in TransOrbital by |
| Dozens of businesses were unable to recover from 9 | | | | sending their backup data to the moon could fly past |
| 11. Having all of their files and backup data in one | | | | their competitors and reshape the new world. By |
| location added incredible economic damage to the | | | | retrieving data stored safely in space, these |
| already tragic losses of life. Should businesses | | | | companies redefine the Fortune 500 and become the |
| anticipate a graver disaster than that of the World | | | | new leaders in the global economy. |
| Trade Center? | | | | Sound a bit hokey? That's the claim TransOrbital |
| Jumping forward ten, maybe twenty, years... | | | | makes in a recent PC Magazine article. |
| North Korea's nuclear arsenal builds to an astounding | | | | Laurie said, "September 11 caused people to think |
| 50,000 warheads (more than the USSR at the peak | | | | about what data backup really means, and there is |
| of the Cold War), the ozone hole exceeds 15 million | | | | also always the threat of a natural disaster here on |
| square miles, and the war on terror wages on. | | | | earth, such as a small asteroid hitting the planet." |
| Nevertheless, it's business-as-usual back in the good | | | | Would it really work-data centers on the moon? The |
| old US of A. Investments grow, as does the price of | | | | plan is to build server-friendly environments that could |
| gasoline and real estate. Cures for would-be-lethal | | | | provide the "atmosphere" necessary for self-healing |
| diseases are on the brink of discovery, and space | | | | servers. Small shelter-like structures that could keep a |
| travel is available to anyone willing to pay. | | | | normal temperature, air pressure, etc. need to be built |
| Nobody saw it coming. Or more precisely, no one | | | | on the moon; currently, Tran Orbital is the only |
| believed it would really happen. Astronomers warned | | | | company with the licensing to do it. |
| of the day the asteroid would come. And it does. | | | | While they're up there, TransOrbital, using |
| Barreling through space at unheard-of speeds, the | | | | Hewlett-Packard technology, plans to make live digital |
| asteroid, aptly named "the end of days," smashes | | | | images of the earth available on the web. They also |
| against the earth like a 400 billion ton hammer. | | | | offer to ship personal objects to the moon for |
| Hundreds of thousands of lives are lost almost | | | | safe-keeping for a small fee of $2500 per gram. |
| immediately. Dust and ash spread across the sky, and | | | | The proposal certainly has its fair share of skeptics. |
| the earth whimpers as if the wind were knocked out | | | | The biggest argument being that the likelihood of an |
| of her. Over the coming months, the damage is | | | | asteroid hitting the earth is miniscule compared to one |
| address by the Red Cross like a troupe of girl scouts | | | | hitting the moon. Earth's atmosphere burns up most of |
| servicing the Normandy invasion. The economy is in | | | | the debris that would otherwise hit the surface, while |
| shambles as consumer confidence falls through the | | | | the moon has no such protection. Others wonder |
| floor...and then the basement. | | | | about upgrading, repairs, and maintenance. As one |
| Out of the smoke comes Dennis Laurie, CEO of | | | | reader put it, "At 75$ and hour and 30 cents per mile, |
| TransOrbital. In a speech matched only by Sir Winston | | | | that's one hefty bill from tech support. |
| Churchill, or maybe even Morgan Freeman, he assures | | | | |