That we should go to Mars.

[Crisb92]

Hopefully this will be the first in a series of topics centred on current affairs, or relatively current at least.

 

Have fun, I'll be watching,

 

Cris.

 

Edit:

Thought I'd better start it off, here I go:

 

I believe that with the current cost and associated danger with spaceflight there is no reason for us to go to Mars. It seems that it is little more than an issue to do with our need to have dominance over all that we can see, rather than for true scientific purposes. It is far more economical and sensible to provide for the people on Earth, rather than satisfying our curiosity and travelling for over a year to find little more than red dust and rocks.

[ninja_lord666]

Umm...you do realize it's physically impossible to go there right now, right? If we could go to Mars, you could bet your @$$ we'd already be there. However, it isn't, so we aren't. Also, if we could go there, I think it would be great. We could do tests right there and do more a more thorough search of the place to see if there was at some point life, or if there's a way to easily make it support life.

Think about it, one of the main problems (especially out east) is that we are incredibly cramped. If we somehow build a dome or something and put air and appropriate gravity levels in there, then people could live on Mars. As for the water, people could go to work mining the ice in the caps.

I don't see why we shouldn't put people on Mars. Sure there is the inherit danger involved, but there is that same danger in sending people out to orbit Earth, yet we do that. The main danger actually is landing again on Earth due to the atmosphere, not just landing. Mars has a thin enough atmosphere that a spaceship that can handle Earth, would land with ease on Mars.

[Abramul]

Physically impossible? How so?

[ninja_lord666]

Physically impossible? How so?

Right now there is no feasible way of getting there. In the future maybe, but now, no.

[Abramul]

Are you familiar with Project Orion?

Missions that were designed for an Orion vehicle in the original project included single stage (i.e., directly from Earth's surface) to Mars and back, and a trip to one of the moons of Saturn.

 

That's using tech from late 50s/early 60s!

[ninja_lord666]

Are you familiar with Project Orion?

Missions that were designed for an Orion vehicle in the original project included single stage (i.e., directly from Earth's surface) to Mars and back, and a trip to one of the moons of Saturn.

 

That's using tech from late 50s/early 60s!

That's for robots not humans. It's a lot more difficult to send a human into space than a robot.

[TheTerminator2004]

I was under the impression that the technology existed, but isn't cost-effective enough to make it really possible- when its cheaper, maybe.

 

As for why we'd actually want to go there, there could be any number of reasons- the various scientific benefits, overcrowding, some huge natural disaster, or even a global thermonuclear war leaving most of earth uninhabitable.

[Vagrant0]

I was under the impression that the technology existed, but isn't cost-effective enough to make it really possible- when its cheaper, maybe.

 

As for why we'd actually want to go there, there could be any number of reasons- the various scientific benefits, overcrowding, some huge natural disaster, or even a global thermonuclear war leaving most of earth uninhabitable.

Essentially the problem is in propulsion. Since we would have to carry all of our fuel to mars with us the entire length of the journey, you would need to expend most of it just to leave the earths atmosphere. Even if you use a space station as a refueling stop, you'd still have to be sending up the fuel to the space station. As long as we're using what we are currently, even a trip to the moon isn't practical.

 

As far as the actual people are concerned, even with a good method of propulsion, the trip would likely have to be one way as planning the return trip may waste space which could be better used for setting up shelters and sources of food/air/energy. Although realistically, there isn't much point of sending people at all until there are some methods to terraform the planet. And that we can do by sending unmanned craft.

[niraxA]

It takes a good year and a half for a one way trip to Mars. And as previously mentioned it's unfeasible to land and pick up some rocks, nevermind colonize the place. I don't think that fuel itself is the problem: leaving Earth's gravitational field will of course require a lot of it. Maintaining momentum after that shouldn't require more than the odd correctional burn now and then. A point of concern is the psychological impact on the crew, who will be essentially stuck with each other for over a year in an enclosed space (here's to hoping the computer system doesn't go HAL to further complicate matters). Adding to that the bare necessities of life (food, water, waste disposal, entertainment etc.) To accomodate all that the ship would have to be HUGE, and most likely built in orbit. Of course we don't have any shipyards up there currently, now do we?. Suffice it to say, it will be a long while before a human sets foot on Mars.

2050 or later at best...but that's just my guess, so don't quote me on that.

[Dilvish]

The technology to go to Mars exists now. What is lacking is a big enough reason to go at this point. The project would cost a tremendous amount of money and take great determination on the part of the nation or group of nations footing the bill. Humanity is too focused on what's happening here on Earth right now to go to Mars.

I think (and hope) it will happen in 50 to 100 years when it will be relatively easier because our technology is more advanced.

 

Sure we could build an Orion right now and get there in a few weeks but it would be politically incorrect. The public outcry would be deafening. "What! The rapacious humans are going to pollute even outer space now!"