Google to help build giant telescope

Google has already planted its flag on Earth, the Moon and Mars. The universe could be next. The Internet search company has struck a partnership with scientists building a huge sky-scanning telescope, with hopes of helping the public access digital footage of asteroids, supernovas and distant galaxies.

I'm just wondering how in the hell are they going to make money from this. Whats your take on this?

www.lsst.org...

Astronomers will pay for the pictures

Originally posted by Master_Wii

Google has already planted its flag on Earth, the Moon and Mars. The universe could be next. The Internet search company has struck a partnership with scientists building a huge sky-scanning telescope, with hopes of helping the public access digital footage of asteroids, supernovas and distant galaxies.

I'm just wondering how in the hell are they going to make money from this. Whats your take on this?

www.lsst.org...

Google is cash rich. Perhaps they will just rent time out to cover costs. I doubt they will charge per photo, what with their new deal with NASA. Perhaps this will be another Private Public Partnership with NASA. I hope so. We need more telescopes like this that can detect NEOs. The Google guys are full of PhD nerds who also recognize the importance of space exploration in all it's aspects. They'll probably offer them free and make money off the advertising as per usual.

Google will earn money from the advertisements. Many people are interested in astronomy and space imagery...

I'm in agreement with Sardion on this.

Google does tend to do things that you would'nt always see as
being something that would gain them lots of money.

I'm glad that there are people out there with the money requi-
red to do this kind of thing, who see the furtherment of knowl-
edge, rather than just dollar signs.

Ah but Google has realized that knowledge = money.

I'm not sure what advertising route they'll take. You already don't see any ads on Google Moon or Google Mars... and Google Maps only advertises sponsored listings that match search criteria.

Be certain though they are doing this in anticipation of future commercialization of space. Maybe they know that getting this system in place now will aide in profit generating then.