NASA Curiosity start over

[wifesaysno]

Okay, I really did not get the response I was hoping to get so let me start fresh:

I wish the money and time was spent on developing a manned mission rather than a 3rd rover. To me it seems like a major compromise.

That was the whole point in my previous topic that one went in a direction I hate.

So there, that is all I was trying to say. I was hoping the manned mission to mars would be my generation's moon landing, I believe the American people could really use such an event to re-focus our society on the sciences rather than things like the Kardashians or the scores of a football player or the latest album of some pro-fain rap artist that raps about drugs and shooting people.

So please cut me some slack folks.

[machineman9]

It will be the next logical step. Hell, in the coming months you will be able to volunteer to go to Mars - It is a permanent arrangement though. You go up, you stay up (unless they one day figure out how to get you back down!)

It's important to know what's up there though. When they went to the Moon, they stayed there as long as their oxygen would allow them. On Mars, they need to make sure that it is feasible for life to be sustained.


The 2003 rovers discovered that water had most likely existed. It also gave hints about the atmosphere (certain rocks were too clean on the surface, meaning they had impacted recently). Water is very important - Not only do we need it to survive, we probably need it as fuel! Split the water into hydrogen and oxygen, and you have the components to re-fuel the big orange tank on your antique Space Shuttle.


This new rover is making further plans to get people to the dead rock. Importantly, to understand the climate and geology. It will also analyse the radiation on the surface - The thing which is most likely to kill the astronauts is the solar flares and radiation up there. It just needs to be looked at. They'll find out what they're up against, and design a way to form shields.


In some respects, Mars is like Apollo 13. Up there they will have limited tools and will have to deal with what is around them - It is too expensive to take up masses of equipment. So they need to plan and see what the ground is like, what the sky is like and how humans can best survive out there.


Advancements will come, you can be sure of that. It's one thing to be the first person on Mars, but you don't want to be the last because it's deemed too dangerous. They're just sticking their toe in the water for now. Give it a couple of decades and we'll be up there! At the start of the next century, we'll probably be going there on holiday!

[wifesaysno]

That is what I am hoping it is, but it sounds a lot like all it is going to do is look for signs of past life on Mars.

I thought we already knew if it was dangerous or not for people. See where my "what's the point?!" exclamation comes from?

I think the problem of putting people on Mars has more to do with designing the proper vehicle to get there and back as well as designing properly portable yet useful living/work quarters on the surface. That I have seen very little work done on...except for lots of CGI videos (few of them matching). Those CGI videos I have seen all my life (22 yrs old).

Okay, so one last question for you. How did NASA prepare for the Moon landing?
It seems the same procedure can be done in terms of designing suitable suits, but more emphasis would be placed on deployment, payload, and transportation to the red rock and back as the distances and time on station are much MUCH higher.

Adam....a little confused 

[alrot]

So there, that is all I was trying to say. I was hoping the manned mission to mars would be my generation's moon landing,

.

Its way too different than Apollo Mission
we went to the moon because its easy , the moon does have a very low gravity you literally could fly using a spray deodorant..

the moon its about 400.000 Km away from earth ,Mars sometimes its at 200 Millions Km of the earth and some times in opposition at 50 million Km from us(more less)

It would be already difficult to land on mars  on and a safe craft, No oceans ,No airports for landing or roads The air its thiner than the one on the earth ( to fly and airplane you would need a huge large wings ) ,Think to use something almost as big as the spaceshuttle tanks how to put it in mars surface? just to scape back of mars gravity to earth ..

  IMHO I think we still too far away to develop`that kind of engineer we need at least 50 more years

I think is beter to make a small device that allow us to see the rocks and sand of mars ,Not a robot

[Xpand]

I'll tell you why we keep delaying a manned journey to Mars. We haven't got the technology necessary to take 2 years worth of food and water just now. We also don't have the apropriate knowledge of Mars, that's why we sent a rover this time. We know less than 1% of all there is to know about the planet.
It's just a matter of time until we get there, but it isn't going to be in the next couple of years....

[alrot]

but it isn't going to be in the next couple of years....

neither couple decades

[Xpand]

but it isn't going to be in the next couple of years....

neither couple decades

Maybe the actual landing, but I can definately see the program starting in a decade or so...

[wifesaysno]

but it isn't going to be in the next couple of years....

neither couple decades

Maybe the actual landing, but I can definately see the program starting in a decade or so...

It was not in my life time, but was there not "there is no way" talk when Kennedy declared we would put a man on the moon? Not to brag about the US, but given are very diverse scientific and engineering backgrounds I feel we could do a manned mission to Mars in about the same time it took for the Apollo mission. From an engineering stand point, I firmly believe the US has the best collection of engineers. I think that kind of challenge is just the thing the US and American people need. Remember, the Apollo missions were much more than just scientific and engineering endevours just as the Mars mission should be.

Maybe I am taking it too deep, but I love a challenge. So I say bring it. The whole mantra of engineering is nothing is impossible, I really believe it and I know that NO problem is impossible to solve, it just comes down to this question: is it worth it? I think we all know the answer to that!

[Xpand]

Here's a video of it's descent onto Mars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGMDXy-Y1I

[andy190]

I'm probably going to get shouted down for this but anyway.

Why are you going on about a Manned Mars Landing?

Even if the States had the Technology I doubt they could afford it without adding Billions to their already massive debt.

Anyway I doubt it will be the States that land on Mars. I mean look at China.

Massive Population, Massive Income, Massive Industry. They are even planning a Nuclear Aircraft Carrier to be in service by 2020.

And even if it isn

[machineman9]

China would certainly have the funding. I think it was a European country who were asking for volunteers to go up to Mars though. NASA are certainly doing it too.

But space politics play a large part. The USA didn't want to appear as a runner-up compared to Russia, and I'm sure many Americans would want to beat China up too. Perhaps one day it'll no longer be about which country does something first - It'll just be about doing it. Everyone chipping in and just getting something done. It is probably the Trekkie approach (or so I've heard) but it makes sense. Firefly took the stand-point that China and America would be the space super powers, and everyone would know Chinese and American-English up in the black.


It's a long way off, but it's approaching quickly. Hopefully in 5-6 years time I'll be starting a career aimed towards building space craft. Space is the only really feasable place to go other than the surface of our own planet. I'll see you all on Europa

[ViperPilot]

First off, congratulations to all the hard working people all over the world who made the technology work and made this landing possible.

Personally, I'm glad robotic probes are taking the first steps in exploring our Solar System and the neighbors surrounding us, because frankly, I don't think the people of the Earth are either prepared enough or mature enough to make the venture into outer space, such as a journey to Mars.

I mean... we don't know how to live in peace with our neighbors, we're petty enough to continually make racial epithets about our President, we can't feed the needy people of the world, our Legislative Branch is more worried about looking good on the next sound byte than helping their constituents... the way we're acting right now, we don't DESERVE to be in outer space.

Maybe the Chinese need to push forth; to raise the bar, so to speak. Maybe that will be the clarion call for us to drop our whimsical notions of what's important... throw the TV remote out the window, lose the apathetic stance we've been touting all these years, and stop being so... arrogant.

[JBaymore]

I'll tell you why we keep delaying a manned journey to Mars. We haven't got the technology necessary to take 2 years worth of food and water just now. We also don't have the apropriate knowledge of Mars, that's why we sent a rover this time. We know less than 1% of all there is to know about the planet.

No.......... I don't think that is really it.

it is mainly that we don't have the MONEY to commit to the project.  What was spent on Curiosity is a drop in the bucket compared to the budget needed for a manned mission. 

And there is no "national will" that science and scientific research are actually important or that space exploration and reaching outward is important.  In fact lately some segments of US society are trying to move scientific study backward, let alone forward. 

We also don't have the Cold War driving the focus on space technology as a surrogate for blowing up people. ("We got the to moon first... so we win.")  And providing military applications of the technology being developed.  That was a powerful force in the racce to the moon.

You are tright that we do not have the technology..... but if we continue on the road we are on... we never will.  And someone else will do it.  Likely China.

best,

......................john

[Fozzer]

Its a funny thing... ...

..but when silly old me reads stories about manned flights to other "Worlds", and starting a new life there, planting Carrots, breeding Sheep, planting trees and grass, emptying "Air" into the atmosphere with suitable pressure, and creating clouds, etc...

...and figuring out problems with Gravity, and that annoying Radiation malarkey...

...and Copulating in Space Suits...

.... I put my Grimm's Fairy Tale books back on the shelf, and retire to the sanity of my real World....

...down here...on Planet Earth...where we were designed... ...!

Paul.... ... ...!

[jetprop]

Its a funny thing... ...

..but when silly old me reads stories about manned flights to other "Worlds", and starting a new life there, planting Carrots, breeding Sheep, planting trees and grass, emptying "Air" into the atmosphere with suitable pressure, and creating clouds, etc...

...and figuring out problems with Gravity, and that annoying Radiation malarkey...

...and Copulating in Space Suits...

.... I put my Grimm's Fairy Tale books back on the shelf, and retire to the sanity of my real World....

...down here...on Planet Earth...where we were designed... ...!

Paul.... ... ...!

You where designed on earth???
I tought you where designed at the centre of the galaxy!