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NRC warns against contact with possible Martian life forms.

http://space.com/missionlaunches/ap_mars_020501.html

The National Research Council (NRC) is recommending that safety take precedence and that missions to the Red Planet try to avoid encountering any possible life forms there.

"While the threat to Earth's ecosystem from the release of Martian biological agents is very low, the risk of harmful effects is not zero and cannot be ignored," the council said in a report released Wednesday.

The NRC urged NASA to establish "zones of minimal biological risk" by sending automated probes to test for organic chemicals or other life forms.

Astronauts could then be sent to areas with the lowest possible risk of encountering life that might either pose a threat to them or to Earth if it returned with them.

And in an additional step to avoid bringing back contamination, the study said, the returning spacecraft might have to be abandoned in space with the astronauts transferred to another vehicle to get back to Earth.

Have you done any study on nuclear subs?

There was no dancing around in nice little circles during World War II.  World War III will be much worse.

If you think the US has no enemies, you are being quite naive.  It is sad for us dreamers that space must be considered in military terms, but that's the reality of the situation.

I don't think we know nearly enough to even consider terraforming another planet.  Nor do we have the money or the energy required....

Besides, we're not doing such a great job maintaining the one planet we have now.

We should have a base on the moon now!  I'm not even aware of any plans to do so.  We haven't set foot on the moon in 30 years.  It's very frustrating.

Then we have this crippled ISS flying circles around Earth.

We don't seem to be nearly ready to send any humans to Mars, although I'm glad they are at least sending robots over there every once in a while....

Right now space of all flavors is taking a back seat to the war on terrorism, imo.  I HOPE I live long enough to see humans back on the moon, but I'm not holding my breath.

Test.

Just checking to see if I'm still registered.  I thought this board was gone.

hmmm

I guess we have a bunch of new smilies....

:0  ??? 

Quote:

"The Mars Petition

The time has come for humanity to journey to Mars.

Humanity yearns for a challenge, one that will let us exercise the limitless potential, now dormant, that lies waiting within ourselves. The prospects facing our generation have never been greater; with world peace, unprecedented economic growth, and extraordinary technological innovation, we find ourselves at the threshold of a new millennium of opportunity. The human exploration of Mars will be our generation's crowning achievement."

hmmmm

This post possibly could get me banned from here, but it's time to face reality:

1.  "World peace" has recently proven itself to be merely an illusion.

2.  The "prospects facing our generation" include the possibility of terrorism on a global scale.  Even NASA may be drawn into the War On Terrorism.

http://space.com/news/iss_military_010924-1.html

3.  The vaunted "unprecedented economic growth" has taken a severe hit.  We'll have to wait and see how long it takes to recover.

4.  If our "extraordinary technological innovation" can come up with a faster, better, cheaper means of space travel, then we might have a chance of human exploration of Mars.  Without that, I do not expect a single human being to step foot on Mars within the next 20 years.  Unfortunately.

If the Mars Society does not want to withdraw the Mars Petition, at least you should modify it to reflect the current world situation.  Otherwise you lose credibility.

Sorry.  Someone had to say it.

P.S.  In case some might think I am being too harsh, I am personally in favor of the human exploration of Mars.  I'm just trying to be realistic about the odds.  All of the above is in my opinion, of course.

The allegedly Grumpy Old Man

This might not be a popular link here, but I think it's important to know what the reality of the situation is.

http://www.nasaproblems.com/

"DAY OF EVIL" is the headline of our local paper.  I guess President Bush has named September 11 for history.

I believe you will see more terrorism in the future, not less.

This was the most dramatic event of its kind, maybe of all time.  Hopefully it will never be repeated.  However, there are other tools that terrorists have at their disposal.

I expect all space exploration, except military applications, to be slowed by this disaster.

Hello Adrian,

Would you like to revise your last sentence?  I expected something like today, but not quite this fast....

Mars will most likely have to wait.  I think Mars exploration is being overwhelmed by current events.  Sadly.

Um.  Minor disagreement here John.  Gravity on the Moon is about one sixth of what we have here on Earth.

Regarding water on the Moon, I read somewhere that there are other explanations for the claimed water (or ice more likely) on the Moon.  Until we actually land there and test for water we have no proof of water on the Moon, as I understand it.

Then you say:

"We should not think that any place is the answer to all our problems"

True!

You are in big big trouble John!

MEPA will be all over you within 48 hours.

(That's the Mars Environmental Protection Agency....)