Focus on Putting Humans on Mars, Group Argues

space.com ^ | 11/13/08

[KevinDavis]

NASA and other spaceflight programs worldwide should focus on putting people on Mars, not the moon, an advocacy group for space exploration said in a new plan announced today.

"The U.S. landed humans on the Moon nearly 40 years ago," said Louis Friedman, executive director of The Planetary Society. "Returning to the moon has not sufficiently excited the public and will require resources that will be badly needed elsewhere in the space program."

[KevinDavis]

Not gonna happen with the "Messiah" in charge..

[KevinDavis]

[BlueStateBlues]

I’m a huge Mars fan. Heinlein, Bradbury, Burroughs, they pointed us towards Mars and we should make it a priority. Love the Rovers (one is pretty sick, sad).

[cripplecreek]

I suspect “The One” will cave in to the fix earth first crowd.

[Brett66]

Considering what the economy is headed for I think NASA will be grounded for a long time to come. They won’t even be able to send people to the ISS after the shuttle is retired and I’m certain there won’t be any new funding, just drastic budget cuts in store for them.

[KevinDavis]

While other programs get a nice increase..

[shibumi]

GREAT IDEA!

I move that we first send the entire Congress of the US along with the newly elected executive branch (what the hell? send all the RINOs too.)

[aWolverine]

I hereby nominate all Democrats to go first.

[beethovenfan]

...and all non-democRAT enviro-wackos. (I hear there’s global warming on MARS!!!)

[Shadow44]

Mars is a bit of a white elephant. The moon has Helium-3 deposits, which can be the source of fuel for fusion powerplants. China realizes this, and we’d be fools to ignore it and let the Chinese gain control over Helium-3 just to be the first to Mars.

[aWolverine]

(I hear there’s global warming on MARS!!!)

You hear correctly. In fact, the entire solar system was showing warming. That, however, was last year. This year, the temperatures are dropping all over. I guess Al Gore will now be into the Carbon Sales business, right?

[elcid1970]

Mnay, many years ago when the president of France was the insufferably arrogant Charles DeGaulle, a political satire show featured the wife of Monsieur le President, “Madame DeGaulle” being interviewed concerning the French space progam.

It seemed that France was bypassing the US/Soviet race to the moon, in order to be first to launch a manned space probe to the planet Mars.

“Madame DeGaulle, why do you wish to be first to land on Mars?”

“Because, if there is intelligent life on Mars, it will speak FRENCH, of course!!”

;^)

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

Focus on Putting Humans on Mars

Better clean my contact lenses! The first time I read it, I thought it said:
Focus on Putting Hamas on Mars.

Hmm! Now, that's an idea.

[KevinDavis]

I agree about the H3 aspect on the Moon.. Whoever controls the H3 is going to be richer than oil rich nations..

[aWolverine]

“Because, if there is intelligent life on Mars, it will speak FRENCH, of course!!”

Yeah, ya gotta love the Frogs. I almost feel sorry for the Sharia pawl they are bringing down on themselves. Oh well, maybe if they hadn't tried to distance themselves so significantly from the church of the "crusaders", they might have stood a chance of retaining some French-ness. C'est la friggin' vie, huh?

[tbw2]

This needs to be done privately, if to be done by Americans at all. It will not happen as a public venture in the US.

[Lou Budvis]

Human exploration of Mars is a huge waste of money and time. The place will never habitable due to it not having a powerful magnetic field. Costs of ensuring safe travel to and from the planet would dwarf any economic gain.

As for the ‘it’s human nature to explore’ argument, Queen Isabella sent Columbus on a trade mission, not on a journey of personal discovery.

[KevinDavis]

Spending $700 billion to pay for mistakes is a waste of money.. Not sending humans to Mars..

[Mr. Jeeves]

The first humans on Mars will be Indians or Chinese - and they won’t get there before about 2040.

[KevinDavis]

Indeed..