New Mars Forums

I would be interested in participating in some way or another. Good microphones are quite inexpensive. 

Incidentally, where can you listen to radio free mars? Is anything broadcsting constantly yet?

I like your idea cindy, perhaps the best of new mars could be included on CD in a time capsule whenever it is made. We will follow your lead Adrian, perhaps you should declare some finalists and ask for a vote. (I still like the web developement suggestions.)

The orion project idea is actually pretty much fallout free if you use pure fusion bomblets. No nation has ever admitted to building a pure fusion bomb though. It would be a safe launch method if the bomblets could be obtained.

By the way I just returned from Washington DC which is why I haven't posted. I even saw some anti nuclear activists in front of the white house with signs. I was sorely tempted to yell nukes rule at them. (I don't think they do but it would be funny.) How come space advocates don't have a booth out in front of the white house?

I stand corrected. 

I remember reading that if a saturn V had blown up on the launch pad that it could have caused devestation on the level of a small nuclear weapon.

Perhaps a time capsuleof what our ideas of the situation of the first mars landing will be. I think that people in the future will find it quite amusing to see what we expected the first manned martian landing too be like. I know I find quite interesting (although kind of sad) to see the way that people thought that space exploration would progress from 1960 manifested in a beautiful very long article in a 1960 or 1961 national geographic. Unfortunately things only progressed as they expected untill the end of apollo. Since then things have mostly stayed the same except for the space shuttle. Even our space stations are pitiful compared too what was expected. Anyway time capsule sounds good, it isn't reallya competition though.

Totally agree with you clark.

Actually nuclear electric propulsion could quite possibly require less time to develop than nuclear thermal. All that needs to be developed for nuclear electric propulsion is a nuclear reactor, similar to a submarine reactor perhaps smaller, and a scaled up ion engine similar to the one flow on deep space 2 or contour. Another option would be scaling up mini magnetosphere propulsion to use instead of an ion engine. You could build a similar craft which uses solar power. This craft however would likely be unable to use aerobraking, as a system for folding and stowing the solar collection system would be needed. In the event of a minor failure of this system astronauts could be killed during aerobraking or left stranded on mars. Nuclear reactors have substantially fewer moving parts and leave the craft with a simpler more robust power system.

Dying by popping a helmet or airlock is while a tad bit gruesome due to bloating etc. virtually instant and if there is any pain it is extremely short lived (seconds at the most). Cyanide pills are in fact probobly more gruesome and disturbing to the crew members as well as more painful to the suicidee.

I personally beleive that the right to die extends only to those who are being kept alive by sheer force and who are in extreme pain with almost 0 chance of long term recovery. In this case they may forgo treatments which prolong their pain, no more. For instance if someone is dying of cancer and is on a resporator they or if they are unable their relatives may deside to have them taken off the resporator as it is a futile gesture which only prolongs their pain. They may not however be given something whose sole purpose is to kill them. A person who has sustained a wound which will disfigure or maim them but who has a chance of recovery cannot make this choice no matter how horrible or worthless they feel at the time.

Human Life Has Intrinsic Value applies to every one. If it didn't the value wouldn't be intrinsic would it?

By the way, many of the disgruntled homicidal maniacs who go on killing sprees do kill themselves. They aren't homicidal because they want to kill themselves. They are homicidal because they want to kill themselves and go out with a bang so they will be remembered. Condoning suicide will not change the fact that they want to make a mark.

Also Japanese samuri culture condones suicide for reasons beside avoiding capture, in fact I am pretty sure any reason is sufficient. I beleive that the ritual suicide by self disembowelment is relativly common among the well educated samuri class. (Samuri are like the knights and over class in fuedal europe.) During WWII the japanese government tried, effectivly, to extend the samuri code to the common folk. Hence the kamakazi pilots and virtual total lack of uninjured japanese POWs captured. Even today suicide is somewhat more accepted in Japan. Hence the relativly large numbers of preadolscents who killed themselves after the deaths of their ELECTRONIC pets. I am sorry you cannot choose to die, it is not your right. You will recall in the list that the right to life comes before that to liberty and the pursuit of happieness (or property if you prefer). That is as it should be, a dead person has been denied all these rights for they are not alive they they are at liberty to do nothing, happieness is impossible, and dead people can'town anything.

I am in favor of a small fleet of reusable nuclear electric spacecraft (use a nuclear reactor to generate power for an ion engine) which remain in space at all times except during aerobraking. Another possibility is that a mini magnetosphere propulsion system could be used instead of an ion engine. They would carry people to mars during every conjunction class mission opportunity and possibly supplies during other opportunities. The developement of a single long range spacecraft could fullfill all of the space exploration act of 2002's long range transport needs. The only other major developements required would be lunar and martian landers and likely a new vehicle to reach earth orbit. Very little developement would be required for asteroidal landings. Aerobraking would be used upon reaching mars or earth. For other targets the engines would have to be fired one way for half the trip and the other way for the other half. Conceivably such a craft could also conduct missions to the asteroid belt and other destinations. I am in favor of using in sitiu propellant production for the mars ascent/descent vehicle. I find this scheme to be the best system in terms of versatility and long range usability as well as in cost and fuel efficency in the long run. (Ion and mini magnetospere propulsion systems use very little fuel, as do their reactors.) This system could also be used as the groundwork for a colinization system for mars or a mining system among the asteroids, or both. Anyway that would be my dream system.

A poll of what year people beleive the first man will land on mars. Or better yet, a contest to guess the Earth date of the first manned mars landing. Closest person gets a prize, upon commencement of the landing.    A long term project.

No kidding, we can go settle mars while nasa figures out how to get us to alpha centauri.