So, why aren't we on Mars yet?

[Japanrocks12]

yes we need to send manned programs to mars. yes, we need to sponsor anything by looking at its greatest possible effect on the future of space. We, as humanity, need to expand beyond Earth.

 

[El_Machinae]

I'd believe people's sentiments more if they were personally trying to help us get to space, even indirectly.

 

[mdwh]

We need to start working on technologies that will allow Mars to be a decently hospitable planet before Earth gets that bad. Which is why we need to send people there in the next 40 years IMO.

It will still be much easier to apply those technologies to living here on Earth, or making Earth decently hospitable again, compared with doing it anywhere else.

 

[azzaman333]

We still need a back-up planet IMO. (and it would be kinda cool to live on Mars)

 

[StarWorms]

You know what, I am going to make myself a coffee.
Now a fresh coffee for Edward will not do anything to:

(i) solve global warming
(ii) solve the HIV/AIDS epidemic
(iii) solve the poor quality of infrastructure in Africa
(iv) llift a single person from below the poverty line; or
(v) convince a single Janajaweed-member to stop attacks

but I see no reason to deny myself a cup of coffee because of that.

Incase you didn't notice, a cup of coffee and several exploration trips to Mars are not financially equal.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Incase you didn't notice, a cup of coffee and several exploration trips to Mars are not financially equal.

Edward's post makes perfect sense. I bet that the total revenues from coffee sales are in the billions. So why are selfish people wasting so much money buying coffee instead of curing AIDS?

Claiming that a mars mission is "wasteful" is pure fallacy considering anything thats not spent solving world problems is "wasteful."

I wonder how many lives could have been saved from starvation with the money spent for your computers from which you're now posting with.

 

[El_Machinae]

Naw, my computer use saves lives.

But I'm nailed on the coffee. I probably spend a few bucks a week on coffee that would do WAY more benefit if it was donated via some charity. I try to mitigate my greed by purchasing Fair Trade and pay a premium to do so.

 

[robo-snickers]

there is life on pluto!!!

 

[Luckymoose]

Should have been there 20 years ago.

 

[scy12]

We have already been to Mars and it isn't today so important.

 

[Eli]

If we had went there 20 years ago, we wouldn't be thinking about going there now. It would've been a waste of a $100B for a stunt mission, even worse than the shuttle or the ISS, at least they had some concrete benefits.

 

[Perfection]

Moon base first, then Mars.

 

[Eli]

Moon base first, then Mars.

We have a deal.

 

[El Koeno]

Edward's post makes perfect sense. I bet that the total revenues from coffee sales are in the billions. So why are selfish people wasting so much money buying coffee instead of curing AIDS?

Claiming that a mars mission is "wasteful" is pure fallacy considering anything thats not spent solving world problems is "wasteful."

I wonder how many lives could have been saved from starvation with the money spent for your computers from which you're now posting with.

You'd be surprised how many people evade poverty by growing coffee. Or producing microchips. Getting a cup of coffee or buying a computer is a great way to do something about world poverty. Blasting billions of dollars worth of high-tech equipment into outer space however...

People keep bringing up poverty in these kinds of debates, because other people say we must go to other planets. Like it's our heavenly duty or something. It's only natural that people point to the fact that we're not that good at managing one planet, so there's not much use in going to another one.

 

[scy12]

I wonder how many lives could have been saved from starvation with the money spent for your computers from which you're now posting with.

Millions more would be starving...

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

I'd believe people's sentiments more if they were personally trying to help us get to space, even indirectly.

Technically we are. At least some of my taxes go towards funding for the CSA.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Mars can wait imo.

 

[Eli]

People keep bringing up poverty in these kinds of debates, because other people say we must go to other planets. Like it's our heavenly duty or something.

Well, strictly speaking it is our heavenly duty. After all, the very first words God said to Man were:
"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it..." Genesis 1:28.

To me it's obvious that in this context "earth" actually means "universe". So there, now we should be getting the support of all the adherents of Abrahamic religions.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Come on people, even if it seems like a glorifying one way mission, the spinoffs to other industries and future missions would be huge. I imagine that all future space-based operations (including ones benefiting Earth-habitation) would be vastly improved.

And it would have probably cost a lot less than the Iraq War...

 

[Eli]

Come on people, even if it seems like a glorifying one way mission, the spinoffs to other industries and future missions would be huge. I imagine that all future space-based operations (including ones benefiting Earth-habitation) would be vastly improved.

Or you could directly invest in space-based operations that in the long term will allow a much more comprehensive space policy.