New Mars Forums

Update from NASA's site:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/const … stest.html

Bear in mind gaeto the only meritable cargo will come from the cargo lander, not the crewed vehicle.  The best I imagine a crew vehicle could leave behind would be a modest inflatable dome.  Most likely the crew vehicles would bring smaller equiptment, likely replacement parts or even change-outs akin to how the Hubble periodically was changed.

A good idea to expend the shroud to maximize capabiliy, and they explained how that gives worthwhile implications here:

Amen to all of the above.

I still have yet to see gaetano write an article that doesn't include either a link to his site or a JPEG.

If anything ought to be scrapped it's your website.

GCN is trying to break it down to you.  A four segment SRB is already designed to lift a massive vehicle into orbit as will its five part successor - if anything the fact it was made to work in pairs means the transition will be easier when adapting it to Ares-V.  The Orion is going to be a vehicle specialized for crew transport first and foremost versus the shuttle which was a huge vehicle built on compromises...in short a smaller vehicle with less trouble to worry about.  Coupled with the second stage I have no doubt it will launch.

So kiss it gaeto 

No comment except I'd choose:

e) Something not from Ghost NASA

...and that is why there is no e) in Gaeto's JPEG 

Unless the Martians are insect-size those are boulders, not buildings.  The images are all by HiRise and it images things on the same scale as our space probes; something a meter or larger will appear.

Personally I'm not into debating about unfocused blips...which in the case of the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and the Face of Mars all turned out to be rocks and hoaxes or trees or shubbery.  What I am interested in about Phoenix's mission is it's nearly state-of-the-art ability to detect organics in frozen water-rich Martian soil.  If there is any life anywhere on at least the Martian surface it'd likely be the poles, and that would include intelligent life...

So if this is a city then Zydar Phoenix is landing upon then the images from its descent camera and close-ups of the natives will prove that final lynch pin you conspiracy lunatics need, and those Martians won't be juuuuuuuuuuust out of focus enough to keep real scientists from drawing conclusions that'd kill estranged enthusiasm.

I'd bet 600 of your British pounds that it won't be a city Zydar, but more likely cracked terrain ressembling the dry valleys of Antartica.  I also bet you won't take that bet and ignore any of the actual pictures Phoenix sends back via "telly" as you British enjoy calling the America "TV" while wildly trying to rally fake support to make NASA reveal the 'real' pictures.

It is sounding like they're going for plan A: Atmospheric Science out of those previous three.  Slightly dissapointed they're not going for G: Geology but I did note an trade-off that would be worthwhile: they are placing emphacis on including a trade-gas instrument that'd help pin-out methane and/or volcanic emissions.  That would definetely help verify if Olympus and Tharis, the supposed two youngest regions of volcanism, are active to any degree today.

Sounds like thinking that led to the bastard birth of the disfunctionally chimeric International Space Station.  :?

You might start with a proposal to save money, but in an effort to save the minimal requirements of a mediocre project you would end up paying the same for a titanic project.

To quote Luke, "We're going in and going in full throttle."  I want the Moon and won't settle for less.

I hope the best for Burtan and the commercial rocket industry....

...but considering what happened to those poor workers with that exploding rocket engine a few months ago...sadly I'm not holding my breath for him anymore. 

Personally I put more hopes on SpaceX and Orbital since they're not funding "fad-suborbital trourist rides" but launching cargo into orbit.

All the same though they have to start somewhere, and a non-goverment funded commercial vehicle has many hurtles to jump.

Compared to ESA's Ariane V that you are bombastic over the Ares V is a MONSTER that ESA won't be matching for decades to come.

If you're so worked up over Altair gaeto-spam consider this: if they really wanna make more room they could consider a Mars Direct-esque Hab lander...provided there is an ascent vehicle planted on the surface to return to the CEV.

...however like Cyclops says it's more likely to work the other way around - a habitat would be landed first and then a crewed Altair makes the scene.  Considering NASA is opting not just for sortie missions but building up an outpost as one of its top prorities don't throw out what Cyclops said about a habitat being landed there.

GUYS CHECK THIS OUT!!  http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0 … anche.html

A REAL LIVE MARTIAN AVALANCHE!  :shock:  CAPTURED BY HIRISE!