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Who do you think Mars exploration will be done by: a government organization, or profit-seeking companies? If you say private, do you plan to invest in a current space company, or start your own? I'm just wondering if anyone thinks that they, or someone else, has the drive and ambition to be the Howard Hughes(s) of Martian expolaration. Any thoughts?
"The government that governs least, governs best"
-Thomas Jefferson
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The government will get there first, but then the private companies will take over once they figure out a way to turn a profit, or even THINK they can turn a profit.
Remember, the dot.com bubble was based on future expectations, I could see the same thing happening on Mars one day: mass investment and migration, perhaps followed by a sudden crash once people realise it will take several hundred years to properly colonise and exploit the planet.
Who knows though, anything can happen I guess.
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I somewhat agree with you that it will take time before companies get to Mars. After all, Columbus got to the Americas by the financing of Queen Isabella in 1492, then the first settlers came starting in that next century. However, the progression of aerial technology from the days of horribly unsafe and scary airplanes of the Wright Brothers to the modern airplanes braking the speed of sound took maybe 40-50 years, no govenrment involvement. I think that progression of rockets to Mars to sending the first citizens to Mars will take more of this timeline, but only if NASA and its suboridents are immediately privatized. Your absolutely right in saying the government will get there first, but I add that government will only provide the money, a self-empolyed genius will start the actual, meaningful business of turning the Red Planet into our New World.
"The government that governs least, governs best"
-Thomas Jefferson
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However, the progression of aerial technology from the days of horribly unsafe and scary airplanes of the Wright Brothers to the modern airplanes braking the speed of sound took maybe 40-50 years, no govenrment involvement.
It was the German military that developed the jet engine (during WWII), and they also developed the rocket technology that later enabled the US to go to the Moon. The military was also the first ones developing super-sonic air planes, and I therefore do not agree on that aviation is a good example on how the private sector can develop something new all by themselves. All the major innovations was done for military purposes, and the work done on airplanes during the first world war was particulary important because they for the first time demonstrated that planes were something more than just dangerous toys.
[url=http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3941]Martian Settlement 2035?[/url]
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It was the German military that developed the jet engine (during WWII), and they also developed the rocket technology that later enabled the US to go to the Moon. The military was also the first ones developing super-sonic air planes
Sorry, I forgot that detail. But, one must look at the world of the 20s and 30s: Charles Linbergh taking $25,000 in an early aerial prize offered by Raymond Ortieg for the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic. A modern example of this prize-driven progress is the $10,000,000 X-Prize taken by SpaceShipOne.
SpaceBull's absolutely right about military applications of these various technologies, but you forgot one small word that means the difference between what I said and what you are saying: GOVERNMENT. Government regulation of the aerospace industry and forced taxes on all the public heavily helps the government fund these military scientists and technicians. The regulation effectively pays these aerospace companies more for a bigger, more expensive job. The taxes provide these labs with the funding, of course. Ref: Entering Space. Personally, I'm personally pulling for the lowering/removal of these taxes and regulations on the aerospace industry, but thats my libertarian philosophy kicking in. My logic is this:
[limited (private investor) funding + unlimited (entrepreneur) wants & talents] - unlimited (government) red tape =
unlimited potential (for all)
"The government that governs least, governs best"
-Thomas Jefferson
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It was the German military that developed the jet engine (during WWII), and they also developed the rocket technology that later enabled the US to go to the Moon. The military was also the first ones developing super-sonic air planes
Sorry, I forgot that detail. But, one must look at the world of the 20s and 30s: Charles Linbergh taking $25,000 in an early aerial prize offered by Raymond Ortieg for the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic. A modern example of this prize-driven progress is the $10,000,000 X-Prize taken by SpaceShipOne.
SpaceBull's absolutely right about military applications of these various technologies, but you forgot one small word that means the difference between what I said and what you are saying: GOVERNMENT. Government regulation of the aerospace industry and forced taxes on all the public heavily helps the government fund these military scientists and technicians. The regulation effectively pays these aerospace companies more for a bigger, more expensive job. The taxes provide these labs with the funding, of course. Ref: Entering Space. Personally, I'm personally pulling for the lowering/removal of these taxes and regulations on the aerospace industry, but thats my libertarian philosophy kicking in. My logic is this:
[limited (private investor) funding + unlimited (entrepreneur) wants & talents] - unlimited (government) red tape =
unlimited potential (for all)
I don't mean to rain on your parade either, but Space Ship One was developed on X-15 technology that been upgraded with newer polymer and poxes technology. Now it is a nice innovation by the private sector, but they didn't develop it either, but modified a project for there use. Now there are a lot of good things done in the private sector and there a lot that they do and that the best way to do it too, but government has to do it thing to to make this happen too. These people that want to leave the government out of there space planning have a plan that won't and can't work if they choose to do that.
Larry,
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Larry, you easily forget the reason WHY government keeps "succeeding". I say the reason it keeps 'above par' is because of lack of competition AND the fact that the government has so much taxpayer money in their hands, unjustly and immorally I say.
Think if private companies had, say 20-30 billion to 'splash around' on a new rocket design, it would be very revolutionary, because of their motive: PROFIT. Profit would keep a company making better products, and for less price, then the competition.
Thats what NASA needs. If NASA had competition, Columbia might have been prevented. We did really good in the 60s and 70s because of our competition with the Soviet Union, when their empire was toppled, our's was, in effect, toppled also.
This is still my main point: Private companies still know how to spend money better then the government, and if given the same resources as the govenment, through deregulation and tax breaks, would perform many dozens of times better. This applies to ALL industries.
But, the problem does not lie in the lack of interest or resources, it lies in how our government is handling things without any real competition. Any book readers may compare this current situation with the scenario outlined in Ayn Rand's book: Atlas Shrugged.
"The government that governs least, governs best"
-Thomas Jefferson
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