New Mars Forums

1984 was a good book, and in some ways, it did occur.  The Cold War had hints of Oceania and Eastasia until the Soviet Union collapsed on itself.

The problem is, war cannot go on forever-even a fake war.  Too much cost.

Back on topic, anybody read Terry Goodkind's books?  They are very good, imho.  Wonder if another is coming out soon.

dicktice, read me the topic again?

fusion is nuclear!

But if you read what I said, I think all forms of propulsion will be applied, especially with private access to space. 

There's a reason canvas sails aren't used for transporting, while fossil fuel combustion and nuclear reactors are, dicktice.

I'm not saying plasma sails aren't viable-I'm saying that fusion also has its benefits, and each system will eventually be used.

Blix isn't delusional!  He has said it many times: the Iraqis aren't cooperating.

If you bug the police on the way to your home so you can move evidence, you're committing yet another crime, Josh.

Who is going to enforce it?  More inspectors?  No, the non-compliance shows that inspections are ineffective.  Action by the UN, who has become a paper tiger, is needed to enforce them.  It isn't happening.  Nothing will change if inspections go on forever.

The diplomacy route would have been nice a year ago.  It's too late now, and we have sufficient justification for war.  Chirac is a power-hungry guy who wants France to control Europe.  It's almost like Germany before WW2 (I'm not comparing Chirac to Hitler-I'm talking about the expansion of power and influence). 

Chirac wants the world to follow France.  It's funny how when America wants the world to follow it, you have such a problem with it, yet Chirac is trying to form a massive European army, with France at the head, trying to bully junior EU countries, telling them to "shut up," and trying to shut off anyone else who opposes him, you support him. 

Double standard, Josh.

Chirac is creating a rift, another NYT article

NATO is required to defend a member country who requests aid and is under threat of invasion.  Given Saddam's history, this is a valid claim, and France and co. are just trying to take jabs at America.

100 km/s-200 km/s?  I think that is rather slow-of course the isp figures are impressive.

What I meant for isp being 5,000+, i was thinking along the lines of exhaust velocity, which I don't think plasma sails have.  A higher exhaust velocit=more payload. 

A higher end fusion drive ship could probably get payload masses of over 60%, if the structural materials were able to support it.

So its okay for France to be a bully and tell other nations to shut up, but we're wrong for asking the UN to live up to its word?

Oh, and NATO is required to give Turkey aid under these conditions, the political jostling shows that anti-Americanism is stronger than anti-warism.

Josh, sorry bout those op eds- I have a membership which doesn't carry through links.

The inspectors are doing their job?  Please.  They are bugged and followed everywhere.  I already said this, Josh.

These nations are in the EU except for a little paperwork.  Even the megalomaniac Chirac can't stop them.  He has delusions of power, yet you support him because he is anti-Bush.  The rift in the EU is growing, as well as the rift in the UN.  Hell, Bush should thank Chirac, they hate him more than they hate us!

A mainstream magazine like Scientific American, Nature, Popular Mechanics, Discover, National Geographic-these would be great outlets, IMHO.

Maybe even sponsoring a show on NASA?  An education show?

Eh, first of all, fusion could get you more bang for your buck-it would be a better launch vehicle, with more thrust.  You also have the issue of momentum, which allows rockets to speed up to three times their exhaust velocity.  Plasma sails, as I understand, have a finite speed, whereas you can manipulate your speed, and fusion can be made much more efficient than the 5,000 seconds isp figures I've been using as estimations. 

I was talking about the physical spacecraft being pummeled, not the sails.  It was a joke! 

The US wants another resolution because the UN is rescinding on the resolutions they made.

Without America, the UN has no power to enforce its resolutions, and they try to screw America around while France tries to become an American rival. 

The UN is a paper tiger.  France and Germany are more concerned about pissing America off than enforcing their own resolutions.

1441 is sufficient justification.  Bush hasn't tried a diplomatic solution-but we have the justification-we are doing the UN a favor.

Belgium has given in the the bully of Europe-and their people are angered.  Against the NATO charter, they vetoed defense of Turkey.  I guess treaties mean nothing to Europeans either!

How can the UN be a force worth caring about if the EU can't even act as a unified political entity?  There is no unity-it's just power jousting among a few separated blocs.

I see two weaknesses: if they get too big, debris become a major vulnerability, and secondly, for very power intense missions (say a belt mining ship or science ship), the power requirements would be too high!

Also, fusion ships would make better launch vehicles from Earth, and I think launch vehicles, like SSTOs, will always be necessary.    So, I think each method will have their applications, as it should be!

Besides, with private space access, you'll see every variation of every ship design possible!

I believe it's because H2O is an essential compound in forming life (have you ever seen those "organic soup" contraptions, where they filter in atoms, which coalesce into organic compounds spontaneously?).  Water is the key ingredient. 

Another side note-CO2 is a greenhouse gas, useful for terraforming.

So this "discovery" is much much better for life, and a slight setback, stressing slight, for terraforming.

Yeah, i think everyone at the SdC forums saw that

Phobos, read down in the "Bounty for Mars..." thread, where land benefits are discussed.