New Mars Forums

Here's another link concerning the Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission:

http://www.floridatoday.com/news/space/ … 2pluto.htm

Turns out that the NASA originally wanted to wait on this mission until better propulsion systems were developed, but Congress and the public(???) said let's go ASAP.  The first full paragraph is what made me LOL.  It said that "When NASA threatened to cancel sending an unmanned expedition to Pluto, scientists and the public complained to Congress. After a petition and more than 10,000 letters, lawmakers in Washington overrode NASA's wishes two years in a row, force-feeding the agency the money necessary to pay for a robotic mission to the icy planet."  I'm pretty sure that the Mars Society and other organizations have petioned(sp) about the same amount for a manned Mars mission, but nothing happens.  I guess it's good to have Congress on your side.

Ya know RobS, I'm beginning to like your plans for Mars 24 every time I come back here.  Can't wait for the book!  Have you presented these ideas to anyone else other than postings here?

There is a pdf file that can be found at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/ma … _crew.html

It's located at the bottom of the page.  It's 237 pages long but it goes into detail about a Mars mission.  Some of it looks a little like Mars Direct

I came across this from Spacedaily.com

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nasa-02f1.html

Maybe I'm missing something, but what is the urgency for these missions out to Pluto?  I understand that we have to launch probes at a certain time, but this seems to me that it's coming across as "We have got to go now!" type feelings.  I maybe reading too much into it. 

???

Quote:  Thus far, we can't use electric drives for ground-launching spacecraft.  Our problem is that these engines produce very small amounts of thrust.  For example, the VASIMR test engine could barely lift a hummingbird!

Electric drives are handy once you get to orbit.  With very little atmospheric drag and no gravity to fight, the engine can operate continuously and move the ship at a slow and steady pace. The acceleration will be slow but fuel is used more efficiently.

Mark, how long would it take to get to Mars?  Would using the ideas of the Mars Direct or even RobS' idea plus electric propulsion be a viable way to get to Mars with current technology?

Kalizarin,  I personally haven't heard him say anything about supporting a manned Mars Mission.  I read at http://mars.caltech.edu dated 5 Mar 2000, that a person was at a campaign stop where then Gov. Bush was asked his thoughts on Mars exploration and he said "Maybe".  Now this could've been a campaign promise, but he has done a lot of his campaign promises so far! 

I agree with AltoWar on his comments for privatization of the space program and Strong, Specific political demand for a small and cheap mission to mars.  It would be nice if NASA was given funding and direct support of the President and Congress.  I also feel that private industries should be supported as well.

I feel that a permanent settlement on the moon will be a waste of money and time.  Don't get me wrong, I know that we will accomplish a lot of issues, I feel that Mars is the way to go.  I'm not a genius or anything but wouldn't you have to build thicker materials for shelter and spacesuits?  To me, that would cause an increase in payloads and that in turn causes and increase in funds.

I agree with you Phobos.  The Army just came out with a game and you can't tell me that it did not generate interest and/or recruits.  Maybe someone in the Mars Society or visitors to these pages can develop one and have it available for download from the Society homepage.

I found an interesting website that's perfect for the Mars mission!  And it was developed by NASA.  I don't know if this was posted before.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/news-item11.htm

I have a question.  It may seem childish to some of you who post here regularly.   What if something happened, i.e. a massive asteroid is heading towards Earth and we could not deflect it. (I know it's "Hollywoodish" but hey!) Say that we have 10 yrs until impact.  Is there technology now that's readily available to put to use?  I.E. nuclear - electric propulsion that's waiting to be built?  I've seen various sites on the Internet on plasma propulsion and one that stays with me is the Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion (M2P2). The site was from the University of Washington and the M2P2 is headed by Robert Winglee.  Here is the link that I found:

http://www.washington.edu/newsroo....99.html

Until people would realize that nuclear energy does not always results in accidents waiting to happen and we get an administration that is very pro-nuclear and has even a modest interest in space exploration, I see our propulsion technology plodding along at a snail's pace.

I would like to hear comments to this.

I know this is corny, but wouldn't be nice to have a billionaire give some money to fund the Mars Direct mission, i.e. "Contact"?  Hey, I can dream can't I?

I like the idea of each astronaut having their country's flag on the suit, but instead of the globe of the Earth, why not have one of those "flat map" of the Earth's surface.  I know it might look a little unusual but at least every country will be shown.