Next stop Mars!

[mindlight]

Spacex now has its crew lift capability - America now has a homegrown manned space programme for the first time since the shuttle was retired in 2011. Mars is looking more and more possible.

SpaceX capsule demo flight lifts off

 

[Jonaitis]

"As of the year 2000, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that as much as 95 percent of the world's oceans and 99 percent of the ocean floor are unexplored." (Live Science)

We are spending more money on frivolous projects that does nothing for the benefit of society, but only to feed speculation, while 95-99% of the world's oceans are still unexplored? We are still discovering new species of animals and insects, not including those found in the ocean. The efforts and hype should be aimed at better understanding our own planet in my opinion...

 

[Sabertooth]

Someone still has to invent artificial gravity, first...

 

[usexpat97]

I don't think Mars is the next stop. There are other stops along the way. Even so, let's get to them all.

 

[Goonie]

I'm still for volunteering Donald for first man on Mars.

 

[Nithavela]

Someone still has to invent artificial gravity, first...

Why?

 

[Sabertooth]

Why?

Human bones lose density if they are absent from significant gravity for too long of a period.

Nine months without a gravity source (of some kind) would be devastating to our intrepid astronauts.

 

[Nithavela]

Human bones lose density if they are absent from significant gravity for too long of a period.

Nine months without a gravity source (of some kind) would be devastating to our intrepid astronauts.

First of all, gravity could be simulated by a rotation ship that would generate the neccessary centrifugal force.

Also, there have been promising studies into vibration therapy as a means to combat bone loss during extensive bed rest, which might also translate into helping astronauts.

Good Vibrations | Science Mission Directorate

 

[Lost4words]

I'm still for volunteering Donald for first man on Mars.

Thing is, he's from Mars anyway!

 

[Sabertooth]

First of all, gravity could be simulated by a rotation ship that would generate the neccessary centrifugal force.

They haven't worked the bugs out of that system.

Also, there have been promising studies into vibration therapy as a means to combat bone loss during extensive bed rest,...

Bed rest still occurs in a gravity well.

 

[Goonie]

Thing is, he's from Mars anyway!

No. Trump is clearly from Uranus.

 

[High Fidelity]

Mars is certainly a step closer, but it's going to be a while.

Late-2020s perhaps at the earliest.

Certainly good for the U.S. to hopefully soon be free from reliance on Russian launch infrastructure.

 

[Nithavela]

Bed rest still occurs in a gravity well.

Bone density loss during bed rest and during zero gravity is comparable. Time and experiments will tell if this technology translates into outer space.

Point is, there are other avenues to explore besides some kind of star trek "artificial gravity". You shouldnt dismiss them so easily.

 

[Sabertooth]

Point is, there are other avenues to explore besides some kind of star trek "artificial gravity".

By "artificial gravity," I mean a functional stand-in.

 

[dgiharris]

"As of the year 2000, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that as much as 95 percent of the world's oceans and 99 percent of the ocean floor are unexplored." (Live Science)

We are spending more money on frivolous projects that does nothing for the benefit of society, but only to feed speculation, while 95-99% of the world's oceans are still unexplored? We are still discovering new species of animals and insects, not including those found in the ocean. The efforts and hype should be aimed at better understanding our own planet in my opinion...

The technological advances that came/come from the Space Program are things that significantly improve the quality of all of our lives.

Satellites are needed for world wide communication and weather predictions
Things like Teflon, CAT Scans, industrial tools (like the jaws of life) and other inventions too numerous to mention come from the Space Program...

Let me try another tact...

THe World GDP is estimated to be around 107 Trillion dollars.

On an annual basis, world wide space exploration and space related Programs, R&D, and Exploration is less than 1/10th of 1% of that. In the US we spend roughly $21-ish billion on space and around $100 billion on porn...

So Elon Musk taking a fraction of the money we blow on porn and trying to advance the entirety of mankind is not a trivial or bad investment.

I could list a 100 things that we as a species spend money on that isn't near as noble as what Elon Musk is trying to do. Especially that there is an actual chance that his efforts will one day save us as a species.

Think about that. Let's say that there is a 0.0001% chance that Elon Musk's efforts will save the entire human species. Wouldn't that easily be justification enough for him to go ahead and invest in space? Not to mention that there is actual money and profit to be made in space. There are quite literally Trillions of dollars to be had in Space. And I'm not just talking Space Tourism.

We have reached the point in our technological development in which it would actually be cheaper to manufacture high tech items in space. HIgh tech items require cleanrooms, cleanrooms cost thousands of dollars per square foot per day to maintain. Similarly, there are high tech biotechnologies that would be easier to do in space (like petri dish organ growth)...

In any event, you should do some research on this topic.

 

[Jonaitis]

The technological advances that came/come from the Space Program are things that significantly improve the quality of all of our lives.

Satellites are needed for world wide communication and weather predictions
Things like Teflon, CAT Scans, industrial tools (like the jaws of life) and other inventions too numerous to mention come from the Space Program...

Let me try another tact...

THe World GDP is estimated to be around 107 Trillion dollars.

On an annual basis, world wide space exploration and space related Programs, R&D, and Exploration is less than 1/10th of 1% of that. In the US we spend roughly $21-ish billion on space and around $100 billion on porn...

So Elon Musk taking a fraction of the money we blow on porn and trying to advance the entirety of mankind is not a trivial or bad investment.

I could list a 100 things that we as a species spend money on that isn't near as noble as what Elon Musk is trying to do. Especially that there is an actual chance that his efforts will one day save us as a species.

Think about that. Let's say that there is a 0.0001% chance that Elon Musk's efforts will save the entire human species. Wouldn't that easily be justification enough for him to go ahead and invest in space? Not to mention that there is actual money and profit to be made in space. There are quite literally Trillions of dollars to be had in Space. And I'm not just talking Space Tourism.

We have reached the point in our technological development in which it would actually be cheaper to manufacture high tech items in space. HIgh tech items require cleanrooms, cleanrooms cost thousands of dollars per square foot per day to maintain. Similarly, there are high tech biotechnologies that would be easier to do in space (like petri dish organ growth)...

In any event, you should do some research on this topic.

What does this have to do with Mars? That was mainly what my comment was aimed at. People are not only wanting to send men to Mars, but some absurdly want to find ways to make it habitable. They rather research more about some distant planet than study our own...

 

[dgiharris]

What does this have to do with Mars? That was mainly what my comment was aimed at. People are not only wanting to send men to Mars, but some absurdly want to find ways to make it habitable. They rather research more about some distant planet than study our own...

If we were going to take 40% of the world's GDP and allocate it to making Mars habitable then yes, you have a legitimate argument.

but we as a species are spending less than 1/100th of 1% of our worldwide GDP on Mars, so your argument really is without merit. Especially since the technology and benefits derived from a Mars mission will benefit Mankind as a whole.

 

[Nithavela]

What does this have to do with Mars? That was mainly what my comment was aimed at. People are not only wanting to send men to Mars, but some absurdly want to find ways to make it habitable. They rather research more about some distant planet than study our own...

What exactly are you expecting on ocean floors? Atlantis?

 

[mindlight]

"As of the year 2000, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that as much as 95 percent of the world's oceans and 99 percent of the ocean floor are unexplored." (Live Science)

We are spending more money on frivolous projects that does nothing for the benefit of society, but only to feed speculation, while 95-99% of the world's oceans are still unexplored? We are still discovering new species of animals and insects, not including those found in the ocean. The efforts and hype should be aimed at better understanding our own planet in my opinion...

Actually we could have both. There are also overlaps in the kind of technology development involved. I would imagine that cities like London or Amsterdam faced with rising sea levels may be among the first to incorporate domes and other underwater facilities to preserve and extend infrastructure in already viable cities

 

[mindlight]

Mars is certainly a step closer, but it's going to be a while.

Late-2020s perhaps at the earliest.

Certainly good for the U.S. to hopefully soon be free from reliance on Russian launch infrastructure.

The SpaceX timetable has suggested 2024.