Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

GOM · 2004-01-29 10:40:21

Let's say we discover life on Mars. Do you think that would speed up the process of getting a few humans to Mars?

Or are Americans too broke and too jaded to ever get excited about exploration again?

jadeheart · 2004-01-29 16:44:45

It will increase/change the nature of missions in general, but not necessarily crewed missions.

Any life found there will almost surely be microbial. The average American will not grasp the significance of these microbes and will not see the discovery as a reason to push for crewed missions. (They will likely see it as a reason NOT to have crewed missions for fear of interplanetary contamination.) Note, this is only my personal analysis. I hope my fellow Americans have more intelligence than I'm willing to give them credit for.

Part of me hopes life is not found; then Mars will be ours to do with as we please. But I think life will be found there if we look in the right places... esp. if there's liquid water there somewhere-- like underground.

GOM · 2004-01-30 13:33:53

It will increase/change the nature of missions in general, but not necessarily crewed missions.

I'm afraid you are correct.

So what would actually inspire Americans to fund a manned mission to Mars?

jadeheart · 2004-01-30 15:09:54

So what would actually inspire Americans to fund a manned mission to Mars?

The discovery of a Wal-Mart there.

Dayton3 · 2004-01-30 16:25:11

Let's say we discover life on Mars. Do you think that would speed up the process of getting a few humans to Mars?
Or are Americans too broke and too jaded to ever get excited about exploration again?

It will depend what Ben and J-Lo are doing that week.

Cobra Commander · 2004-01-30 19:50:38

Let's say we discover life on Mars. Do you think that would speed up the process of getting a few humans to Mars?
Or are Americans too broke and too jaded to ever get excited about exploration again?

I'll give my fellow Americans some credit, most will appreciate the significance of finding life on another planet. Whether it would speed the process of getting there, who can say? I'd expect that a majority would want to study it up close, but there would also be some fringe loonies that would say we should never go to Mars, ever. Much ranting about past genocides and conquests would likely follow, without relevence. Unfortunately, they would probably be the loudest voice.

So we need elected officials that won't care about the opinions of loud leftist loons. Read into that whatever you want.

Now, whatever effect it has on the timetable for a manned mission, I'd expect the discovery of life to seriously screw with the prospects for Martian colonization from a political viewpoint. Life may get us there sooner only to make things harder down the road.

Aetius · 2004-01-30 20:37:26

That's why I hold out the most hope for China eventually developing permanent outposts and colonies. A significant fraction of America's power elite is gripped by deep-seated self-loathing. Human expansion into the solar system is too reminiscent of the Age Of Exploration for these folks.

The Chinese government, however, may see space colonization as a way of establishing its role as the dominant superpower in the century ahead.

More power to them. I hope that I live to see the PRC launch a few big nuclear reactors to a Martian settlement, as helpless Western environmentalists have conniption fits.

I wish things were different, but as they are I'll be happy to see human beings from any nation travel to Mars. In truth, I doubt that the eventual Martian colonists will be Westerners.

Aetius · 2004-01-30 21:01:44

The discovery of native Martian nanobacteria will probably cause Western nations to put any plans for a permanent outpost on hold.

Of course, any extant extremophiles will likely be deep underground. Ironically, they'll probably never be found without a large human presence already there on the surface.

GOM · 2004-01-30 21:32:55

More power to them. I hope that I live to see the PRC launch a few big nuclear reactors to a Martian settlement, as helpless Western environmentalists have conniption fits.

Ouch!

Hopefully China will motivate the US into once again having a real manned space program.

I do have to wonder one thing though: What if our black budget boys have already been to Mars?

jadeheart · 2004-01-31 17:34:19

I'll be happy to see human beings from any nation travel to Mars

yes. my interest in space exploration stems more from feelings for humanity as a whole than from nationalism. but i do think that americans will have good things to offer the new frontier, if we ever get off our asses and go.

Hopefully China will motivate the US into once again having a real manned space program.

what do you think prompted the lunar aspect of W.'s space initiative? there is nothing better to motivate the typical american than the prospect of competition. as such i'm behind the chinese (and whoever else will do something to get the US gov't to sit up and take notice) all the way.

Dook · 2004-02-01 23:21:01

The only thing keeping us from landing Americans on mars and bringing them home safely is leadership. The first President Bush had the idea and NASA hosed it up and the only reason mars and the moon are now being mentioned is because China recently put a man in orbit and stated they are going to build a moon base. Instead of raising the bar and going to mars the american government has decided to only meet it where it was left in the early 70's. Our leaders lack vision. I think we all have to just wait it out and hope that maybe some day another John F. Kennedy will be born.

jadeheart · 2004-02-02 15:01:17

we can do it without another JFK. if the details of the plan can be hammered out s.t. the plan can gather enough momentum over the next few years, this may be enough to keep things rolling. at this point i think it's going to hinge on the implementation... avoiding contractor greed, cost overruns, etc.

of course, the whole thing could easily be sunk by an anti-JFK... a reverse-visionary who cans the whole thing on ideological terms. but i prefer not to think about that too much.

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#1 2004-01-29 10:40:21

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#2 2004-01-29 16:44:45

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#3 2004-01-30 13:33:53

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#4 2004-01-30 15:09:54

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#5 2004-01-30 16:25:11

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#6 2004-01-30 19:50:38

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#7 2004-01-30 20:37:26

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#8 2004-01-30 21:01:44

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#9 2004-01-30 21:32:55

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#10 2004-01-31 17:34:19

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#11 2004-02-01 23:21:01

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

#12 2004-02-02 15:01:17

Re: Question for board members.... - Manned mission to Mars.

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