Bush to Mars: Promises or Gimmick?

[Andromeda321]

Integral- I know it, and I am eyeing the private sector carefully, but I've wanted to go to the moon since I was a little kid. Mars I'm willing to let slip past, but old dreams die hard. After all, the moon's right there, covered with tritium, and when fusion gets online...
I also have a VERY hard time believing that the private sector would just stop at low Earth orbit because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who wants to go to the moon. Simple as that. Plus if NASA remains structured the way it currently is (weather it should be is a different topic) they are going to keep sending up astronauts, even though right now they don't really do much of anything a machine can't do. People have a huge emotional component to space and journeying among the stars even if there's no "real" purpose for it. As long as there is interest in space and astronomy people will want to go as far as they can in it.

 

[Danger]

If there is any work to be done on the lunar or Martian surface it would be much more productive and safer to employ remote control or robotics with AI... I simply do not understand why we should waste money, time and resources putting men into space when there is no real reason to do it.

Too much lag time for remote control/telepresence; AI with the option of going dormant and requesting instructions seems the best way. (I'm thinking some nice new Macs...)
You're right that humans aren't need for exploration or construction in space, but eventually we have to go. It's either that or world-wide enforced birth control.

 

[stoned]

We USA have to send humans to Mars simply for prestige reasons,after that automated misions will do fine.
As for Bush being test dummy, Bingo !

 

[Moonbear]

...they are going to keep sending up astronauts, even though right now they don't really do much of anything a machine can't do. People have a huge emotional component to space and journeying among the stars even if there's no "real" purpose for it. As long as there is interest in space and astronomy people will want to go as far as they can in it.

The only real purpose to it is PR. The idea that they may some day get to vacation in space keeps the average citizen from grumbling too much about funding NASA because all the real science is too far over their heads (no pun intended <<groan>>) for them to care about it.

 

[franznietzsche]

Integral- I know it, and I am eyeing the private sector carefully, but I've wanted to go to the moon since I was a little kid. Mars I'm willing to let slip past, but old dreams die hard. After all, the moon's right there, covered with tritium, and when fusion gets online...
I also have a VERY hard time believing that the private sector would just stop at low Earth orbit because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who wants to go to the moon. Simple as that. Plus if NASA remains structured the way it currently is (weather it should be is a different topic) they are going to keep sending up astronauts, even though right now they don't really do much of anything a machine can't do. People have a huge emotional component to space and journeying among the stars even if there's no "real" purpose for it. As long as there is interest in space and astronomy people will want to go as far as they can in it.

Ditto.

Where's your sense of adventure man?

I've always wanted to go into space. When DeepSpaceOne was successful i was jumping up and down cheering. I was damn excited. I can't wait for the inevitable possibility of commercial spaceflight.

And as for you people saying there is no reason to send people into space, that's ridiculous. That's like saying there is no reason to research the conducting properties of liquid helium because we currently have no need for it. It is shortsighted and you know it.

 

[oldunion]

what about building a cannon in space, like those massive ones hitler bombed france with...from germany! You could shoot a pod and also attach rockets to it for secondary propulsion. i suppose the astronauts would be mush from the gravity of it, but maybe not...

 

[Danger]

i suppose the astronauts would be mush from the gravity of it, but maybe not...

Yeah, they would. I think that the best shock suit is good for about 12 g's. There's a system (still top secret, I think) whereby a pilot can stay conscious through over 25 gees and survive even more, but that still wouldn't be anywhere near enough obtain meaningful velocity.

 

[Integral]

Unfortunately we have neither the time nor the resources to be wasted on "adventure" or "prestige".

Sorry that is just an economic fact.

When useless manned missions are planed and executed at the expense of real scientific explorations we are putting at risk the chance that we will EVER be able to break the bonds with the planet earth. At this point in time we need to develop our technologies for space travel, this can be done without the wasted payload represented by a man and his life support systems.

While our robotic probes are exploring the solar system looking for economic solutions to our many problems, we, on earth, need to start planing on the possibility that the universe has conspired to trap us on the surface of this planet forever. This means that we need to learn to live with each other and our fragile biosphere. If we cannot do this civilization, as we know it, is at risk.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

This means that we need to learn to live with each other and our fragile biosphere. If we cannot do this civilization, as we know it, is at risk.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=69443

 

[Pre-AlgebraDude]

Bush is just an empty suit. His family is a bunch of dogs (refer to "Worse Than Watergate", by John Dean). Laura sold crack in college, etc., etc., etc. Some democrats said to take him up there and leave him.

 

[Hurkyl]

Personally, I would think that an orbital launch laser would be more efficient than a ground-based unit.

Well, one of the problems with that is that it has to deliver enough momentum to propel a ship to mars, without propelling itself just as far the other way.

There's a system (still top secret, I think)

If so, either someone liked you enough to commit a federal offense to tell you that, or your sources aren't entirely reliable.

 

[Danger]

If so, either someone liked you enough to commit a federal offense to tell you that, or your sources aren't entirely reliable.

The source is pretty good, actually. Nobody involved is on your side of the border, so there's no offense. We don't answer to US law.

 

[Hurkyl]

Okay, then pretend I said whatever the Canadian word for "Federal offense" is.

 

[Danger]

Okay, then pretend I said whatever the Canadian word for "Federal offense" is.

It's not a secret here.

edit: I was granted Top Secret clearance by the Pentagon and Ottawa several years ago, but it had absolutely no connection whatsoever with this topic.

 

[stoned]

could not they invent big trampoline and launch satelites this way ?

 

[Danger]

could not they invent big trampoline and launch satelites this way ?

If you wanted to excavate the Grand Canyon to several times its current depth to string it across, and could find a material that could take the forces involved, and... leave it suffice to be said 'no'. The 'Space Elevator' is a workable idea, though.