New Mars Forums

Is it just me or does the darker rock in that nice color photo look basaltic?

Just a hunch too, some companies maybe being quiet in lieu of possible industrial spying.  For some of these companies the 10 million and the press would be a major 'booster' to their productivity and sales.

I agree, no reason to rush anything.  Also, my spin on things.  Good Policy evolves, it does not happen overnight.  So, we should be a little more patient.  I don't have a lot of Faith in Dubya, but I am willing to let him Suprise me.  We need a good solid feasible goal, that is reachable within 8-10 years at a reasonable cost and without a major need for technology.  Then we can branch out from there.  Personnally I would settle for the moon in the short term for a chance at Mars in the Long term.  With the success rate of craft going to Mars, I wouldn't send a person their till that improved dramatically.

I am so upset.....

I was watching Jeopardy and the President just HAD to have a press conferene..  where does he get off..

I do not intend to start a yelling match but physicists from MIT and NASA thought other then the amount of explosives used, that the movie was accurate..  maybe a bit unlikely, but definitly possible.. 

The 25 years between lets say 1953 to 1978-  The Air Force was completely different.   the fastest plane in 1953 was the X-2, fastest Jet was the F-86.  the B-36 was finishing up development with the B-47 on the Horizon.  simply radars were being developed.  There still was dogfighting..  No ICBMS.  NO Communications Satellites,  no digital communications, everything prettymuch vacuum tube based.

1978-DSCS satellite system and Milstar deployed
Advanced avionics and fly by wire with either the F-15 or F16 respectively.
B-1 being developed
current fighter bombers include
f-106
f-111
A-7
A-10
B-52

Full line of ICBMs
GLCMS

on the verge of Satellite defence system

Full digital communications including the DEBB (europe)
etc
etc
etc,

ie completely different Air Force,  6 years old instead of 30 years old.

Well, the probe went MORE THEN 300,000 MILES..  maybe the timing chain broke..  thats always the killer for Toyota pickups..   

Well,  I think the Japanese will be able to make a comeback,  unless the have lost Hope.   pardon the pun..

The US Air Force wasn't truely modern by todays terms atleast until the late seventies.  by the seventies the Air Force had point to point and spoke to hub Satellite communications, with various levels of encryption.  A fully developed fleet of modern aircraft to do just about anything possible in the air, with a fully capable logistics to back it up.  in 1953 the planes were basicly alightly faster versions of P51s and P47s used in World War Two.  I should know, since I am 20,000 feet below their battleground, aka Mig Alley.

Discovery of living Microbial life on Mars could pose more of a threat to future missions then many think.  Depending on how much the Greens unite,  they could stall almost all efforts to continue exploration of Mars.

Yes, I agree with you, but I would not even wager odds on this one. 

IMHO, we are ill equipped to handle such a threat, and unless we have a window of 5 to 10 years,  I don't see any sort of Heroic Armagedeon(sp) type ending.  Realistically we lack the technology and expertise to do it.  I do have the copy of the Air and Space Smithsonian at home that talks about the movie and said the only truelly unrealistical part of the movie was they didn't use enough explosives.   the rest was possible.......... According to physicists from MIT..

But, anyway, to get to the point...     Being optimistic won't get as anywhere predictions won't,  without action, thoughts are thoughts.

Cause it's that cool..  d'uh!  :-) 
Just because it's old it still likes Camels.
hmm, I would try to think up 8 more, but I can guarantee they would only get worse, and considering how bad these are....  I will stop.

Rubber or synthetic base tires don't have to be Pneumtic based.  But I believe tires to be the best solution.  For lightwieght quick transportion an Axled tire setup would be the simplist and easist way to do it.  It also would be the most straightforward to maintain.  The more complex a system is, the more bugs that have to be worked out and more wierd and stange break situations you get into.  I am into Rock-Crawling.  This is a form of offroading that has a goal of going over obstacles that would be impossible in a normal vehicle. 

A convential system like this would also be nice due to the ability to CNC new parts easier.  The other thing is with tires of a synthetic/rubber base, the passengers will be very thankful the ride qualtity will be much better.  Unless you are driveing on ice, I don't see a need for stud based metallic tires or cleats. 

One last thing is minimal environmental impact.  a standard tire of some sort or deviation will have the lowest impact, then a standard track.  Anything Studded or Cleated will tear the %$# out of whatever you are driving on. 

Just my 2 cents.

Like rxke said there is different types of valuable.  To a future space crew the deposits of most value will be ones that can be processed into core components such as water, oxygen, and fuel of varying types.  By the time it becomes economically viable and even profitable to mine on mars for consumption on Earth, NEOs will be taken advantage of, with their Rare Earth Metals variety and close proximity to Earth.. it wouldn't be that hard to snag one on fly bye and park into a Lagrange point for processing (L5?)... Of course that is many many many years away.

There has been high and low points in Space Flight and I would definitly put us at a trought of the wave of space flight.

What we need to grasp is a vision. 

This Vision needs to be agreed upon by a majority of people such that it can turn into something tangible. 

We are currently in a defeatist cycle.  The only major press given to space is based on disaster.  If something good happens it's back page news.

Maybe the culture problem with Nasa is a sampling of a larger problem overall.  How can we invigorate the people to want a space program, to make it a major issue? 

That is the question...   

I think it may stur a chicken egg debate though.  Public interest or new program.  If you get a new program it may spawn interest.  Without interest though it is hard to justify funding a new program.

Why is there a different definition for dormant volcanos on Earth, then Everywhere else..  sorry.. my two cents..