Thread: The Mars Landing Approach: Getting Large Payloads to the Surface of the Red Planet

As an aside, we won't waste all of Earths resources getting significant numbers of people off it. The solar system is jam packed with volatiles and metals just waiting to be picked up once we get there.
If we can get manufacturing off planet and onto the moon, then collecting debris and volatiles from the low gravity areas of the solar system takes enormous strain off the Earth itself.

Originally Posted by entropy

Dale,

If the first mission will die a lot, then the general save-the-wales-nuke-the-ISS crowd, spineless politicians and ambitionless youth on videogames would simply be afraid to make a second attempt.

The heroes of Gagarin's and Armstrong's era are gone.

No, they're not, they're just not respected anymore. Test pilots, deep-sea divers, dam builders, tunnel carvers, etc. Plenty of men willing or eager to take on plenty of risk if they perceive the reward great enough.

-dale

Originally Posted by dalem

No, they're not, they're just not respected anymore. Test pilots, deep-sea divers, dam builders, tunnel carvers, etc. Plenty of men willing or eager to take on plenty of risk if they perceive the reward great enough.

-dale

True, but the general population and the governments are unwilling to let these men take the risks.

Plenty of people are yelling about Evil Space Explorers who search for habitable places to live in after the Earth has been Globally Warmed.

The governments of today (some more some less) are very hesitant about risking lives in name of anything, especially space exploration. Imagine the leftist reaction on a crashed Mars lander.

Space exploration is not politically correct. The money should be used to feed people who were too lazy to go to school, or to continue this "third world aid" farce.

One last, perhaps minor factor is that space exploration is boring for Average Joe. A rocket only takes off in one direction, while a football flies around in many. Pictures from space are short and low-resolution, while football gets an entire 90 minutes coverage.

And the driving force behind the Space Race was rivalry. Now, are we supposed to fear that Iran flies first?

Originally Posted by dalem

Plenty of men willing or eager to take on plenty of risk if they perceive the reward great enough.

-dale

There is the crux of it. It's the money, the reward. In the end, if there is gain then the pain will be taken to do just about anything and screw whatever stands in the way.

Originally Posted by Debbie

There is the crux of it. It's the money, the reward. In the end, if there is gain then the pain will be taken to do just about anything and screw whatever stands in the way.

No pain, no gain

Originally Posted by entropy

No pain, no gain

In reality, no one goes through the pain without a reward in sight. Why bother - self satisfaction? No, the reward must be enough for justification of the action. Another planet that at some point can be usable to sustain whatever Earth needs it for? Priceless.

Originally Posted by Debbie

In reality, no one goes through the pain without a reward in sight. Why bother - self satisfaction? No, the reward must be enough for justification of the action. Another planet that at some point can be usable to sustain whatever Earth needs it for? Priceless.

At some point in the future? Nah, the glory, TV appearance, and tons of women wanting to sleep with you is the real gain in this case.

Not to mention the cool NASA suits.

Your luck - a diaper wearing woman who thinks that you are in love with her at your heels who also happens to be employed by NASA....