Obama sets Mars goal for America

[Aaron]

I wonder, did Obama just hand the GOP Florida on a silver platter?

[Deepcrush]

Yes... but they'll (GOP) do something stupid tomorrow to mess it up.

[Captain Seafort]

Unfortunately for you, you'd likely be coming down with us.

Who said anything about going down? I said you'd be reduced to a second rate power, not that the US would cease to exist. We're still here and doing quite nicely, even after the collapse of the Empire.

[Captain Seafort]

And in the future the country that owns the Moon and Mars is better off.

In the far future - we don't have anything like the technology required to "own" the Moon or Mars in a way that would affect the balance of power on Earth.

[Lighthawk]

Which brings up a question...how do you even claim ownership of something like the moon or mars? Whoever gets there first? Whoever can go back there reliably?

[Deepcrush]

Whoever sets up guns first.

[Lighthawk]

Whoever sets up guns first.

...good point.

[Deepcrush]

It normally is.

[Lighthawk]

Though if Eddie Izzard is to be believed, America already owns the moon...

[Nutso]

I could've sworn Bush wanted to put a man on Mars. Or was that he wanted a Moonbase? Anyway, if there's a Race to Mars, that would be so freaking cool. Science and technology would get rolling again. We'd solve problems, like battling radiation, keeping the human skeleton strong and viable in a weightless environment, maybe warping space technologies can be thought of.

[Nutso]

I watch these discovery channel/NGC things and it gets me worried about stuff like the Earth's magnetic sphere is weakening. Is it going to continue weakening? Do we stand a chance of surviving without it? Are we going the way of Mars? What made Mars the way it is? Some space science guys think Mars once had ocean? Where did the supposed oceans go? Is Mars an historical precursor to what awaits Earth in a billion years?

[Tyyr]

I wonder, did Obama just hand the GOP Florida on a silver platter?

Pretty much. I think this was basically a bid to try and keep that from happening but I think he just gave the GOP 25 electoral votes.

[Monroe]

I watch these discovery channel/NGC things and it gets me worried about stuff like the Earth's magnetic sphere is weakening. Is it going to continue weakening? Do we stand a chance of surviving without it? Are we going the way of Mars? What made Mars the way it is? Some space science guys think Mars once had ocean? Where did the supposed oceans go? Is Mars an historical precursor to what awaits Earth in a billion years?

Actually, I've seen pictures of Mars with an ocean. They're able to trace out where the ocean should have been given the drop in elevation if I can find a pic I'll show it to you. Basically ocean covers the northern hemisphere with a few islands while the south is by and large land mass.

And to answer your earlier statement, many people think the Moon is a necessary stepping stone towards Mars. Like on the Moon you could build a larger rocket than you could on Earth.

[Captain Seafort]

And to answer your earlier statement, many people think the Moon is a necessary stepping stone towards Mars. Like on the Moon you could build a larger rocket than you could on Earth.

I don't think the Moon as a construction site is the key reason, so much as to gain experience. The atmosphere of the two (or lack thereof) is almost identical, so training could take place there in much more realistic conditions than could be achieved on Earth.

[Tsukiyumi]

...The atmosphere of the two (or lack thereof) is almost identical...

Nah, you'd live at least a few more seconds on Mars without a suit.


Seriously, the logistics of getting supplies and equipment from here to Luna has got to be easier than getting them from here to Mars. Equally, with the right infrastructure on the moon, it should be logistically easier to get supplies to Mars. Right?