Bush wants to send people to Mars...

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Perhaps it's because so many discoveries by NASA have military applications? Directly or indirectly... After all, don't we now use NASA-based technology to steer missiles or something like that?

[Pikachu_PM]

In response to comments made about mars being a 'suicide mission' because they couldn't get home.

The current idea is based off sending robots first to create/build fuel tanks and (ideally) water storage should water be found on mars.

Details can be found in a TIMES magazine from 2 weeks ago. Very interesting stuff.

My concern is that its just a bunch of politically nilly-willying. I'm down to pay more taxes and get it on, but I want the real deal, not some great hype.

Bablyon 5 ladies and gentlemen. I can't say when it will happen, but it WILL happen.

[Pikachu_PM]

Oh, and in to response about opinions about fixing problems at home first...by that logic we shouldn't spend money on musuems, people shouldn't be allowed to waste money on mansions and private yachts, and Goverment offices should be run out of trailers.

You don't ignore problems, but you also don't let problems get in the way of progress...especially when said progress would help solve said problems.

[Dalamar Stormcrow]

Originally posted by skywalker: quote: Originally posted by skywalker: Can we send Bush to Mars? [img]smile.gif[/img] Mark

Great minds think alike...at a speech in Iowa, given by Howard Dean, he said that he thinks sending a man to Mars was a great idea and that Bush should be the first one to go!

Mark [/QUOTE]You mean the I Have A Scream speech? LOL [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

[Yorick]

Originally posted by johnny: But there's a much better chance if they can launch from the moon, hence the talks about a permanent base there. People WILL walk Mars someday, you better believe it.

Agreed.

A huge amount of fuel is used in leaving the earths atmosphere. Leaving from the moon would negate that. A moon base would be a prereqisite for a Mars mission. It would be more relable than the space stations I'd imagine too.

Also, once an object has momentum in space, it can turn off the propulsion and maintain velocity, for there is nothing to slow down it's motion. No air etc. Once it hit the required speed, a ship could turn off the propulsion until a source of gravity came into effect.

Who thought people would walk on the moon? Live in Antarctica? Fly like a bird?

The sea is another frontier. Moving cities onto the water. Hovercrafts (that the military have owned for decades) or the new boat/car could make that a reality. Who knows what that would mean for Polynesia, Micronesia etc.

In many senses the idea is exciting. It's an unknown.

Why go there? Why did Europeans leave Europe? Why did humans move from Ethiopia or Iraq in the first place?

I shudder to think what dislocational issues people born on Mars would face though. It was wierd enough growing up in Australia, with so many Euro-centric cultural things like cold, winter christmas images, all reinforcing a "stranger in a strang land" kind of sensation.

Who knows what a Mars-born person would deal with. So many Anglo-Celtic Australians go back to Ireland or Great Britian to "find their roots". What would Marsians do?

And what would happen if they were taxed without representation? Would they have a tea party?

[Yorick]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: [qb] distracting your populace with empty promises of religious salvation

Hey come on bro "Empty promises"? My salvation is threefold. Past present and future. The promises are very much being fulfilled and have been fulfilled in the past. It's not only about heaven or the afterlife, but largely about the NOW. The salvation takes effect immediately and manifests life and perceptional changes.

Nothing empty about those promises.

Good to see you anyway mate. Be safe. [img]smile.gif[/img]