TheAnvil 0 #1 January 9, 2004 ...like me. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,107807,00.html Unsure as how one might plan to actually FUND this but I've always thought that having a national goal of getting to Mars in conjunction with appropriate federal funding would be a good thing. Look what the Moon race did for us back in JFK times. Bush has disappointed me in so many different ways during his tenure to date. (I am going to vote for him again, never fear my conservative friends here) If this article holds true and we follow thru with this I think it will be one of the legacies of his administration. Thoughts anyone?Vinny the Anvil Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL JACKASS POWER!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wzettler 0 #2 January 9, 2004 Yeah, i heard about this on the radio on the way into work today. The guy on the radio said that he thought that Bush would run into a lot of opposition because the country is already spending a ton of money on the war on terrorism (among other things). I want to know where the money for this space mission would come from? We have a HUGE debt that is just getting bigger and the economy isn't so good either. To quote the guy on the radio, he said something like: someone having a huge credit card debt but using it one last time for a huge vacation. While the vacation makes you feel good and alleviates the pressure of the debt for a little while, the debt is still there and bigger than ever when you get back. I personally would love to see people go to Mars and set up some establishment on the moon and explore space more, but I just don't know if it is such a good idea right now because of the money situation. I am not an economist, but us getting in deeper and deeper is bad for the world ecomony too, I would think... I think when Jesus said "love your enemy" he probably meant don't kill them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #3 January 9, 2004 I can't help but think this is election year campaigning. Space is cool, and the populace can get excited about it. But why doesn't he wait until the X-prize is won, and then utilize some of that technology for cheaper space flight? My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AdD 1 #4 January 9, 2004 What's the point of a station on the moon right now? Nobody's going to Mars anytime soon, and why would they when the robots are so much cheaper? Maybe Bush wants to make the moon his permanent residence, he seems to be up there most of the time anyway. On the other hand, if you guys actually want to spend more countless billions you don't have, then more power to you.Life is ez On the dz Every jumper's dream 3 rigs and an airstream Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingILweenie 0 #5 January 9, 2004 I just think it's funny how they put a date for the next moon mission as something like 2018---we're no better off than we were 35 years ago if it takes us that long to get there again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheAnvil 0 #6 January 9, 2004 I'm not so worried about the deficit anymore this year than I was last year. A deficit budget was inevitable in light of the recession GWB inherited. Now if he doesn't act to save SS here during his next term (which I hope he gets) then his successor(s) are going to have one HELL of a deficit/budgetary crisis on their hands. I think it will be a good thing in the long run, but wonder where the $$ will come from. Perhaps the long lead time proposed is intended to spread the cost out over several years. Who knows? It will be interesting regardless.Vinny the Anvil Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL JACKASS POWER!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #7 January 9, 2004 Part of the success of the original Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions was that the rockets and technology had a direct military benifit. Everything that the Mercury rocket used was able to be directly ported to the military. Funding was a lot easier to come by when the DoD was able to help you out by taking over paying for things if needed since they were going to use the parts anyways. Apollo was streching the direct portability of the technology. Luckly there were large buyin's from the public into the project at that point. Plus there was the space race against the Russians. The public lost intrest pretty rapidly once the mission was accomplished. There was only 6 missions total that landed on the moon. Even with all the known factors to put a man on the moon the infostructure to do it is no longer in place. The only Saturn V rockets still in existance are static models and I think one in pieces (missing a lot of stuff though) in Huntsville still. Just to build one off of the old proven blueprints is going to take 3-5 years.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydivingNurse 0 #8 January 9, 2004 Couldn't agree more about the X Prize thing. We've been to the Moon, we've landed little remote control cars on Mars, now, IMHO of course, it's time to put our collective noses to the grindstones and start colonizing space. The ISS is a nice toy, but we really need to put something in place with spinning rings so that the astronauts don't have to worry about bone degeneration, then establish something on the moon to stage our space craft for trips to Mars. These things will take a long time to do and cost a lot of money, but it really needs to be done. Humans are explorers, we're smart and tough and adaptable, but getting the requisite "gumption" seems to be the sticking point. Space is calling, I hope we answer soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #9 January 9, 2004 Because of the time constraints (several years until the Moon, Mars not actually on the immediate schedule, just the promise of building toward that), manned space exploration is always going to be legacy building. It's also a good bit of business for a couple of key GWB states, namely Texas and Florida. I wouldn't want to use the work pork because that's maybe going a bit too far, but it definately will boost the economy in both states. It should be noted that it will probably -decrease- funding in parts of NASA that are not directly related to the goals of human space flight. Again, I await reality.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #10 January 9, 2004 Quote We've been to the Moon, we've landed little remote control cars on Mars, now, IMHO of course, it's time to put our collective noses to the grindstones and start colonizing space. The issue is that HUMAN space flight is mind bogglingly expensive. While the American public might not get too upset if they lose one of the rovers on Mars, losing a human astronaut is not something we really have that much of a tolerance for. The entire Mars rovers program may have cost upwards of 800 million dollars. A human mission to Mars might be at least 100 and perhaps as high as 1000 times as much. This of course, just a wild ass guess on my part. Like the boys said in The Right Stuff, "No bucks, no Buck Rogers".quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #11 January 9, 2004 Quote Look what the Moon race did for us back in JFK times. Thoughts anyone? When this was first announced/leaked a couple of weeks ago, it was rumored that that Bush admin was looking to generate some positive public appeal. They figured that could do the same for GWB that the moon speech did for JFK. This is just spin that any candidate could have used, GWB just decided to become the first Mars cheerleader without any risk to his career. Now, if he had given a closer date that would have happened within the next 5 years, then it would have given him some press. I'm a space geek, but would rather see him focus a bit more on domestic policy and Social Security._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheAnvil 0 #12 January 10, 2004 Ditto on the SS. That's a disaster just waiting to fall into all of our laps. I think 5 years infeasible due to technical and industrial limitations for a Mars trip. A lunar one - perhaps, but only at GREAT GREAT GREAT cost and with full cooperation of industry (which would mandate them dropping all current projects in all likelihood). Both infeasible I think. Because it wouldn't occur in a time frame to give him a shyte-ton of good fallout, I think it must be something he truly believes in.Vinny the Anvil Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL JACKASS POWER!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
