At the last update, the new orion rocket launch time has been delayed due to ground winds. Of course this is merely a test flight. But I want to know your opinions on their plans to use this rocket to ultimately send humans to Mars and beyond. Let's have good, clean discussion. I'll start. I think it is great that NASA is once again expanding its horizons with this program. I'm very excited to see what comes of this program.
NASA was unique in the 1960s because America was in a space race against the Russians. Those two forces were bitter rivals, and the competing forces there are what drove America to the moon. (Historical side note: Its also a little known fact thst America used nazi science to accomplish the lunar landing. Yes, the head if NASA was Werner von Braun, who was a captured nazi physicist) These forces don't exist today. NASA has no real purpose. The shuttle has been scrapped, and even though there is talk of a replacement, its still years out. There is also a budgetary concern. Going to the moon started with Kennedy and ended with Nixon. It was a bipartisan effort that spanned several elections. The last bipartisan effort America had was the hunt for Osama binladen. There is no bipartisan effort for a trip to mars, and the economy of the globe seems to dictate that there won't be any finances for it any time soon. The best hope for a trip to mars resides with the private sector, as "profit" is as powerful a motivator to business as the Cold War was a motivator to the United States. I understand that, the trip its self isn't as important as the technologies spawned to make the trip are, but, to date, no one has shown how any cash can be made by funding a trip to mars. The "buy in" is simply too high. The next best hope, barring the private sector, would be a trip from the ESA. ESA has the combined resources of many countries and it would make the trip to mars a global endeavor. Gone are the days when America stood ahead of the world doing the most amazing things. The focus has shifted to more global initiatives, and honestly, that is how it should be. The landing on mars, should it ever happen, should be a human achievement. Not an American one.
Good points Moose. In addition to funding problems, the science to travel to Mars or beyond is not currently feasible, though there are ppl working on it. Especially when you take into account the time it takes to travel.
Slight addition to moose's post. The space race was merely an excuse to prove missile technology for the arms race. First to the moon proved they had the ability to nuke the other. Nice motive. But that is how it stood back then. These days many compete but it's the budgets and profits that will determine the future of the space race.
The road map I see to mars starts like this. Space will be opened by private business for tourism. This has already happened. If you have a few million dollars, you can hitch a ride on a Soyuz capsule with the Russians and even visit the ISS. More pioneering businessmen will find a way to reduce the cost for orbital space tourism and will make a business out of it. It will remain an activity for the upper middle to lower rich class, but, it will be there and will become more feasible in my lifetime. In my child's lifetime, the market will have driven technology to make the moon more accessible. Business will utilize the technology from space tourism to open businesses on the moon. These business opportunities will be anything from tourism to, more likely, strip mining. (The moon actually has rare minerals that could make this profitable) Finally, the technology that sprouts from these private enterprises will allow for a mars mission, although that legacy will fall to my grandchild. That's how I see this progression happening, and it will all sprout from the private sector. Not government.
All nice points. Except that nasa is already launching a rocket to mars or close to and bringing it back home to see how the new long distance space travel return system works. 4 hour flight.
Screw going to Mars. The money should be invested in expanding the global economy (making poor countries rich) so that technology will advance faster. Once technology has sufficiently developed, the mission to Mars will be less expensive.
The problem is that NASA is reliant on congress for a budget, and as congresses come and go, so to does the budget thst NASA gets to play with. Sure, they can launch a few rovers, or send a rocket to test out how a "return system" for people works, but, to plant boots on mars would require bipartisan cooperation over several sessions of congress, and I just cannot see that happening. Could you ever see democrats letting George bush get the credit for kicking off or accomplishing a manned mars mission? Could you ever see the republicans rallying behind Obama for the same stuff? A threat needs to be present to unite the two parties, which is what the arms race was about (see post by chaos). No such threat that can propel us to mars currently exists. The next race will be a quantum race. The First Nation to successfully develop a fully functional quantum computer will have the keys to the kingdom, and that race is currently raging, but that's a topic for a different thread.
I say to hell with space and start right here on the ground with the oceans they are still undiscovered things in the ocean so why worry about space when we don't know what is really down in the depth of the trench
Countries come and go. They need to figure out a method to stand on their own, funding other nations puts a strain on the powerful and often leads to an economic decline. Think of it this way, if you work 60 hours a week would you really be willing to give half of that to a guy living on the streets, not likely. And i agree that privatization is the way to go.
We need to go to mars for one really important reason it's the next step. If all intelligent life in the universe exists only on one planet then it's incredibly risky to only stay on one planet. Yes von Braun had ties to the national socialists but sadly so did many other notable German scientists at the time not everyone managed to get out of Germany while they could. The moonshot was because the Russians were perceived to be winning the " space race " due to lift capability. Kennedy's speech was moving the goal posts from a limited time frame of getting satellites and men into orbit which the Russians were doing far better at, allowing what he hoped would be superior American technical skills and a truly massive budget to catch then pass the Russians. As for the ESA yes they are a skilled group but don't forget china is going to the moon India has been launching space flights and wants to make a name for it's self. Russia is providing lift resources to the iss at the moment and with putin's desire to assert their place on the international stage they could try for mars. It would be better if they worked together but sadly that's maybe not that likely.
From what I can understand, NASA was the brightest and most expensive Jewel of the United States, the main reason why we had a very good race with the Russians . Where are they now? Struggling to make enough money to give to a poor family of 3. Let me make it simple; NASA needs to stop building rockets that absolute no use unless it's for those astronauts in the international space station. They need to make plans. let's all remember that NASA has the brightest of minds when it comes to: Space Stars Galaxies Rockets Engineering And last but, not least, time. That's right my fellow kawers. Everyone who's out there know we are not getting younger (sadly.) but, that does not mean that time is running out. NASA can gladly stick to making plans but, for the future not for now. The space age is done and it will come back once we are ready. Everything that has a beginning, has an end.
Asland you do know that NASA is contracting orbital lift from the Russians ? That country you mocked still has a serviceable rocket program which keeps the iss in orbit.
That's another thing. I live half an hour from NASA and I criticized them. Florida full of crazy people
Bigger problems here on good ol earth. Wasting resources is frivolous. Lets fix what we messed up here before caring about wasting time n money on Mars.
What are you babbling about equality for ? After the private rocket ( Russian made engines ) exploded it was a Russian Soyuz who resupplied the ISS it's Russia who gets the men to the iss and brings them home again.
It's not blabbing it's mentioning there's a difference. And as for the post above his, let's take this like baby steps? First earth then space just like back in the 1960's