China Just Announced That It's Sending the First Humans to Mars

[Thomas White]

Did we just enter into a new space race?

Yes.

 

[Thomas White]

It's at least got the veneer of Christianity within it still and a healthy amount of tradition. Why would I want to see the liberal democratic order expand into space?

Russia literally banned mission work...

 

[Yarddog]

Where it will build a permanent base.

A rendering of a 3D-Printed habitat on Mars.SEArch+/Apis Cor / NASA
China has set its sights on Mars.

China's go-to rocket manufacturer revealed a roadmap for the nation's forthcoming crewed missions to Mars, according to an initial report from Global Times.

While the nation's plans also call for a permanent Mars base, NASA, SpaceX, or another conventional spaceworthy power will likely beat them to it. But it's great to see China stepping up, and committing to aspirational goals like landing the first humans on the Red Planet.

China aims to put the first humans on Mars by 2033

Continued below.
China Just Announced That It's Sending the First Humans to Mars

I see no reason to send humans to a planet when robots can explore the planet much safer and cheaper.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

I see no reason to send humans to a planet when robots can explore the planet much safer and cheaper.

Should we really be encouraging safety when it comes to space exploration and colonization? If safety is the primary concern instead of the colonization or exploration we won't get anywhere because no action will be considered worth the risk.

 

[Michie]

The primary stage, also called the technology preparation phase, will reportedly involve robots designed to return Mars samples, and explore a base site for a future human installation on Mars. Afterward, a second stage will send humans there, who will construct a permanent base. Once it's completed, a third stage will see large-scale Earth-to-Mars cargo fleets depart to seed and accelerate development projects on the Red Planet. The schedule for these and additional phases are 2033, 2035, 2037, 2041, 2043, and more, according to the academy.

Notably, China is considering nuclear-propelled vehicles for human missions of exploration to Mars, in addition to a "Sky Ladder" system, which is currently under investigation as a means of reducing the scale or cost of future probe and transport missions to the Red Planet. We're not sure what the academy means by "Sky Ladder", but, taking a wild guess: it could be a space elevator. While not a new idea, the notion of building a vertical transport connecting a planet's surface to orbital altitudes would be extremely difficult, on Mars or Earth, to pull off. But the technological skills necessary for such a grandiose feat of engineering may simply not exist yet.

I see no reason to send humans to a planet when robots can explore the planet much safer and cheaper.

 

[Yarddog]

Should we really be encouraging safety when it comes to space exploration and colonization?

Yes.

If safety is the primary concern instead of the colonization or exploration we won't get anywhere because no action will be considered worth the risk.

Where do you want to go? No planet, other than Earth, will support human life. Instead, we should clean up this one, which is far cheaper and safer.

 

[Yarddog]

The primary stage, also called the technology preparation phase, will reportedly involve robots designed to return Mars samples, and explore a base site for a future human installation on Mars. Afterward, a second stage will send humans there, who will construct a permanent base. Once it's completed, a third stage will see large-scale Earth-to-Mars cargo fleets depart to seed and accelerate development projects on the Red Planet. The schedule for these and additional phases are 2033, 2035, 2037, 2041, 2043, and more, according to the academy.

Notably, China is considering nuclear-propelled vehicles for human missions of exploration to Mars, in addition to a "Sky Ladder" system, which is currently under investigation as a means of reducing the scale or cost of future probe and transport missions to the Red Planet. We're not sure what the academy means by "Sky Ladder", but, taking a wild guess: it could be a space elevator. While not a new idea, the notion of building a vertical transport connecting a planet's surface to orbital altitudes would be extremely difficult, on Mars or Earth, to pull off. But the technological skills necessary for such a grandiose feat of engineerinmoney. simply not exist yet.

Let them waste their money

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Yes.

How mundane.

Where do you want to go? No planet, other than Earth, will support human life. Instead, we should clean up this one, which is far cheaper and safer.

That's the whole point about exploration and charting unknown. We won't know till we actually start exploring and finding this stuff out. In order to do that, we should accept a certain amount of risk. That's partly what makes the effort worth it in the first place.

 

[Yarddog]

How mundane.

Better mundane than stupid enough to not care about the lives of your countrymen.

That's the whole point about exploration and charting unknown. We won't know till we actually start exploring and finding this stuff out. In order to do that, we should accept a certain amount of risk. That's partly what makes the effort worth it in the first place.

That's the point. Robots can do what ever is needed and no one dies.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Better mundane than stupid enough to not care about the lives of your countrymen.

It's not that I don't care about the lives of others, but all things entail risk. Exploration and colonization is a fine goal, especially for the long term prospects of mankind. Why should someone be prevented from accomplishing something great if they are willing to make that potential sacrifice?

That's the point. Robots can do what ever is needed and no one dies.

What a dull world where Robots do everything man ought to do.

 

[jacks]

I suppose it would be too much to hope for some international space program. That way you could have Americans, Russian, Kiwi's and Chinese all going to mars. Whoever was up to the challenge and willing to take the risks.

 

[Yarddog]

It's not that I don't care about the lives of others, but all things entail risk. Exploration and colonization is a fine goal, especially for the long term prospects of mankind. Why should someone be prevented from accomplishing something great if they are willing to make that potential sacrifice?

There is no reason, other than ego, to try a manned exploration of Mare.

What a dull world where Robots do everything man ought to do.

When robots die, no life is lost.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

There is no reason, other than ego, to try a manned exploration of Mare.

That's a rather degraded take on the imagination of people who want to take such risks in the future. Maybe there's ego to it, but the same could be said of any potential enterprise that brings about profit or fame. Doesn't mean someone should be prevented from doing it.

When robots die, no life is lost.

Obviously, but when I think of a world where robots do all the exploration and it's left to humans observe through monitors on screens while sitting in the safety of study, it doesn't seem like a very appealing picture. It's like how war is conducted in the modern era, through drones, detached and depersonalized from any real accomplishment.

This sort of attitude would lead to a Wall-e future. I don't think the Film makers intended that future to be a good thing for us. There is such a thing as memento Mori and it's not morbid or bad to think about.

 

[Michie]

There is no reason, other than ego, to try a manned exploration of Mare.



When robots die, no life is lost.

China does not care for lost lives now on earth. Why would they care when it comes to exploring Mars?

 

[Yarddog]

That's a rather degraded take on the imagination of people who want to take such risks in the future. Maybe there's ego to it, but the same could be said of any potential enterprise that brings about profit or fame. Doesn't mean someone should be prevented from doing it.

It's far safer crossing oceans to a habitable continent than crossing open space to a dead planet.

 

[Yarddog]

China does not care for lost lives now on earth. Why would they care when it comes to exploring Mars?

You're probably right so let them send people while we send robots.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

It's far safer crossing oceans to a habitable continent than crossing open space to a dead planet.

Most of Magellen's crew and himself died on the first attempt to circumnavigate the globe. It wasn't exactly safe for men to travel the sea during the time of discovery.

 

[iarwain]

USA is worse because USA is a nation that hates family values. China won't be sending transsexuals to Mars.

Okay, maybe I misunderstood his comment. I thought he meant that he didn't know if it was worse that China was colonizing space, or that China was colonizing the USA.

 

[Yarddog]

Most of Magellen's crew and himself died on the first attempt to circumnavigate the globe. It wasn't exactly safe for men to travel the sea during the time of discovery.

Will you say that it's worth going to a dead planet when men and women die and trillions of dollars are wasted.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Will you say that it's worth going to a dead planet when men and women die and trillions of dollars are wasted.

To explore unknown frontiers, yes. That cost that seems worth it because the rewards are possibly more than trillions of dollars and the expansion of human life throughout the cosmos.