Back to the Moon and on to Mars

[x-y-no]

Did anyone else watch last night's 60 minutes segment on progress towards a manned return to the Moon and eventually a manned mission to Mars?

Overall, I thought it was good, although I wish they would have spent some time on the scientific value of a permanent base on the Moon. The Moon is far superior to orbit as a site for both visual and radio telescopes (especially radio, since the far side of the Moon is completely free of man-made radio signals.)

Don't get me wrong - I'd like to see an eventual mission to Mars as well, but the Moon is much more than just a stepping stone on that path.

[HURAKAN]

I think we should get established in the Moon before going to colonize other celestial objects. The Moon should be the base to everything. We can construct all spacecrafts there and it takes very little effort to get them moving toward their targets.

[Cryomaniac]

I think we should get established in the Moon before going to colonize other celestial objects. The Moon should be the base to everything. We can construct all spacecrafts there and it takes very little effort to get them moving toward their targets.

That would be a good idea. I'm all for assembling space craft in orbit, because of that fact.

[Cyclenall]

I saw a really good one on CBC Newsworld in Canada about future man trips to Mars. The ending was really quite something, it explained how to make it livable in the future (terraforming).

On that program, it explained why it would cost more to build bases on the moon to then go to Mars. They said it was just better to do it from Earth.

[gigabite]

First I think that the power satellite should be deployed and the power beamed to Mars, because the first step to colonization is power. If you are going to mine the asteroid belt you need power besides the power satellite can be placed at L1, (a Lagrangian point outside the moons atmosphere between the earth and sun) acting as a de facto parasol limiting global warming.

Of course a small amount of power could be peeled off and used to pay off the space program, the national debt, and every student loan on the planet.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

I don't believe we will have a base on the moon intill 2050. The politics sucks for it right now. Hell, I don't believe we will even land on the moon intill 2020 or after.

[HURAKAN]

I don't believe we will have a base on the moon intill 2050. The politics sucks for it right now. Hell, I don't believe we will even land on the moon intill 2020 or after.

I must agree based on the current economical situation.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

I believe China will land on the moon first.