Bush to call for moon base, Mars missions

[marshal zhukov]

With a budget of 15 billion US$ NASA can't get out of the US let alone colonize the Moon or Mars.

NASA's budget should be 100 billion or more, the military is getting around 400 billion this year and is a total waste.

 

[luiz]

I think this is great news.
Some say that it's a waste of money, I say that the sooner we start exploring space, the sooner we'll profit from it. Of course, it will take some decades before space exploration becomes a viable business, but once it does, the possibilitys are nearly infinite. Mining asteroids for incredably rare and precious resources beign one of them.
Also, the more we fly to space, the more the ammount of mnoney needed to do so will drop.

 

[Singularity]

The consesus seems to be that US citizens hate it, but the world like it. A rare occurance of DWB policy selling votes outside of US borders.

Seriously though. Like luiz said. It won't give benefits today. But this kinda technology demand an infrastructure and competence that you can't breathe life into whenever you can afford it. So either you put forth long term plans and stick to them, or you might as well toss the money out the window.

 

[The Yankee]

I think it can be good. But many people outside of the US don't know what kind of federal budget we're dealing with here! It's easier to support the spending of money when it isn't yours (collectively, in the US).

 

[jack merchant]

Originally posted by The Yankee
I think it can be good. But many people outside of the US don't know what kind of federal budget we're dealing with here! It's easier to support the spending of money when it isn't yours (collectively, in the US).

Exactly. If the US wants to spend itself into bankrupcy for the sake of futile symbolism, more power to them !

 

[andrewgprv]

Originally posted by Singularity
The consesus seems to be that US citizens hate it, but the world like it. A rare occurance of DWB policy selling votes outside of US borders.

I would say that many many US citizens love the idea.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Im one of them, I love the idea. I just dont see how Bush thinks we can pay for it at the rate he's lowering taxes.

 

[Chauliodus]

I'm skeptical, it seems like this will lead to the drawing of NASA funds from robotic research probes to grandiose projects.

I hope so, I'm sick of all the unmanned probes they send out, bout time they got back to sending people back in true space exploration.

 

[allhailIndia]

Similar criticisms have been made of India's proposed mission to moon (unmanned), but the difference is that an unmanned mission to moon costs a fraction of what it costs to set up an entire "moonbase" and a mission to mars. Moreover, we have most of the technology ourselves and the Russians will be glad to assist to Indian scientists, due to the long history of cooperation between the two countries.
Of course, as far as benefits outside the scientific field go, it may lead to an Indian ICBM of course, plus our aerospace industry will get a huge boost.
Moreover, I think the US has more pressing concerns right now concerning job loss, which I repeat has little to do with India and China and more to do with the American education system and a record deficit. Besides, a project of this size and magnitude is better served with international cooperation and mutual assistance rather than just being an ego-exercise for the US alone.

 

[Pongui]

That administration appeals to the kid in us. I want a moon base too!

Perhaps by shifting funds in this way to broad space programmes Bush thinks he can cover his sluggish performance in weaponizing space.

 

[smalltalk]

Folks, let's face it: the NASA couldn't even reach the ISS without Russian help at the moment. So much for the US dominance in space.

Anyway.


What is truely space exploration?

Is it humans jumping around on the moon, waving into the camera and bringing home some stones? Is it two people caged in a half-built space station, perfoming technical and medical duties most of the time?

Nope.

The work horses of space exploration are:

- orbital telescopes mapping the sky in infrared and visible and X-Ray band.
- a return trip mission to a passing by comet
- a hard touch down trip to a asteroid
- the upcoming graviton wave detector satellites
- the Pioneer and Voyager missions to the outer planets
- the Galileo mission to Jupiter and its moons.
- many, many more

(and I'd really want to see a Titan mission. Titan should have an interesting atmosphere.)

OTOH, how about a manned mission to Venus, huh?

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

A permanent base on the moon hey? Sounds like fun. I wonder how they will solve the gravity problem.

 

[sysyphus]

The first landing on Mars will indeed be exciting:

"Hurrah We've landed on Mars!"

"Okay now what?"

"Erm......"

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Think of all the opportunities it will give the conspiracy theorists to discuss why the Mars Landings never happened. They'll double their act.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

any ideas on how they will solve the long-term gravity problem on the Moon? I mean, I can see the people just wasting away.

 

[onejayhawk]

Originally posted by Singularity
The consesus seems to be that US citizens hate it, but the world like it. A rare occurance of DWB policy selling votes outside of US borders.

Seriously though. Like luiz said. It won't give benefits today. But this kinda technology demand an infrastructure and competence that you can't breathe life into whenever you can afford it. So either you put forth long term plans and stick to them, or you might as well toss the money out the window.

I wont go so far as to say that the WHOLE US voting population hates it. I think its not only a great idea, but a very tardy one. This should have been a goal half a generation ago.

To those that worry about cost, phooey. The cost is near trivial compared to things like the military, or the various entitlements. In the short run it will employ people. In the long run the reseearch advances ar incalculable. It is not an exaggeration to say that the technological boom of the 80's and 90's was fueled by NASA's research in the 60's: computers, materials, communications, medical, the list goes on and on.

J

 

[onejayhawk]

Originally posted by Sobieski II
any ideas on how they will solve the long-term gravity problem on the Moon? I mean, I can see the people just wasting away.

I gather that 1/6th gravity will handle a lot of the free fall problems. It will interesting to see the effect on children when they finally get to the point of allowing them there. Also its not hard to simulate partial gravity with magnets and a steel floor.

Originally posted by smalltalk
OTOH, how about a manned mission to Venus, huh?

Are you volunteering?

J

 

[Pongui]

Originally posted by smalltalk
Is it humans jumping around on the moon, waving into the camera and bringing home some stones?

Nice shot primate.

Maybe it is. Let's not be overly rational about this. We must explore not just space, but how we feel about it, what it does to our identity. Many breakthroughs will have nothing really to do with space and everything to do with ourselves. First child conceived in space, for example, or first child born out there.

 

[Goober]

I think this is a good idea, but I also think that we should make earth a better place first before we go and colonize other worlds. Not like there is huge competition to colonize the Moon, is there?

We should make war a thing of the past, eliminate global poverty, and do a host of other things before looking to the stars (In other words: de-humanify ourselves)

But if we are going to the Moon and Mars, we must make sure

1) It is feasible. That is will not cost untold Billions of dollars (*ahem huge USA deficites/dept ahem*), and that there is a point to colonizing the Moon/Mars. I mean, if these place do not have any resources, then what is the point?

2) It must be truly international. If we are to colonize the Moon/Mars, we should make sure that perhaps the UN has control over it, and make sure that the USA just does not take total control (like it does to most other things)

3) Actually, being on the Moon/Mars might be kinda cool. Maybe they should allow tourists up there, and charge them a few million each . . .

 

[Esckey]

perhaps the UN has control over it

I like the UN and all but it would need a major overhaul for it to have anything to do with space.