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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 20, 2016 - 11:30pm PT
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Once upon a time, when I was just a boy, men walked upon the moon. It happened on the night of July 20th, 1957, when NeilArmstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) during the Apollo 11 mission, and stepped out onto the surface of the Sea of Tranquility, about a quarter of a million miles from earth on the surface of the moon.
It's been forty four years since the last Apollo mission (Apollo 17) left the moon and closed that chapter on deep space manned exploration. On December 14th, 1972, Harry Schmitt and Gene Cernan climbed aboard the Lunar Excursion Module, blasted off from the moon's surface, docked with Ron Evans in the Command Module, jettisoned the LEM, and left for home.
A lot has happened since that time, but humanity has been spinning their wheels and making lots of trouble for themselves in the interim. Over the years our space program has lost much needed support from our government and no manned deep space missions have been attempted to the moon, or otherwise. The vision of many at NASA back in the 1960s took us to the moon. The moon landings, which were a technological marvel in and of themselves, were intended by scientists and astronauts as only a steppingstone. The real objective was Mars all along.
Nixon got spooked and dropped the ball after the near tragedy of Apollo 13, the American public and congressional naysayers began to question the risk vs reward of us venturing further or even of going back to the moon before the first six successful Apollo missions were even completed.
In the words of Elon Musk, "Somehow, we lost our way." But lately, he and others in the private sector have been sticking their necks out in order to put forth the funding, ideas, and research to make a Mars mission happen again. Now is the time to take the next big step, for the sake of our future, and the last best hope to secure the survival of our species if and when an extinction level event happens here on earth.
Links to some other manned Mars mission threads;
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2879285/Making-Humans-an-Interplanetary-Species
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2867290/SpaceX-explosion
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2815467/Lockheed-Martin-outlines-plan-to-seend-humans-to-Mars-orbit
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Dec 20, 2016 - 11:57pm PT
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A nice vision, but I can't agree.
inevitably, it is an issue of funding. What has happened with the funding that would have been spent on Mars?
We've cut the worldwide poverty level in half.
We've cut the birthrate by 2/3
We've cut the number of mass starvation events to nearly nothing, other than in conflict zones.
There is a price to be paid, and those with the vision don't really want to focus on who loses out. Cancer research? Early childhood education?
There is a reasonable concern about our national debt. While I don't think of it as the disaster that some do, I don't really see adding an extra trillion or 3, to pay for this.
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2016 - 12:21am PT
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The technology that was gained and required for the Gemini and Apollo programs to be successful changed human history. As a direct result, huge advancements were made in communications, robotics, computer hardware and software, nanotechnology, aeronautics, transportation and health care industries to name but a few.
Imagine, if you will, what new capabilities and technological advancements to our world would be gained by a successful manned Mars program. The difficulties of sending and returning manned missions to Mars are extremely difficult, but surmountable, but the technological payoff to our world might possibly be tenfold that of the Gemini/Apollo programs of our predecessors.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Dec 21, 2016 - 03:44am PT
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I thought I saw four not three responses ?
As well
Your up to the work of alien dis information
Wake up they need to get us to get them off the planet
We should resist the urge to try to reach beyond our
Blessed and devinilly wrought state.
Save the earth hunts spawns or the children of them till they puke back finds to bring clean water and facilities world wide
Look at the planets only to navigate , and given modern GPS ya can by-pass that
Oh it was 1969 (ne' '57)
But interesting intersection
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo-soyuz/astp_mission.html
I checked and found that 1957 was a huge year in The Space Man Show,
Hey, kids ! When You Grow Up
You Want To Be an Astronaut !
we were force fed that crap with patches,
the real thing like you saw on the space suits. . .. . .
( were they glued on? Mine would not Stick, they had to be sown, my sis said the outer layer of the space suit was kinda like an overall . . . Smart Cookie. )
A constant barrage of rocket oriented , space travel themes TV, shows
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11
toys
and plastic models it was the same time as
I got into and out of real wood planes,
"Servo n such" had a tee shirt
But
Yup, I bought in, for a few years ,
It was not the start of or the birth of
Fake news.
But, it was the start for me,
Of my real vision as to nothing
we ever are forced to belive
Is true.
Apparently the wife heard the Chinese have a manned Moon shot in the works?
I'll, check in a bit
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Dec 21, 2016 - 05:47am PT
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Establishing a self-sufficient (well...) base on the Moon seems to me to be a much more realistic goal. Assuming there's ice on the darkside wouldn't that make more sense?
Seems that the distances involved with Mars just don't make it too viable as a first-shot at terraforming.
And we need a warp engine or else we're not going anywhere anyway... Gnome... get crackin' on that.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Dec 21, 2016 - 07:04am PT
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We could occupy ourselves with war instead.
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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Dec 21, 2016 - 07:07am PT
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No. way too trickle down.
A mars trip will bring peace and solve world problems is a specious philosophy. The space race brought us ICBMs and Star Wars and a militarized satellite junkyard. The pipe dreams of the 'Me Generation' don't resonate with the working poor.
No. Thank. You.
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2016 - 10:57am PT
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I should have assumed this thread would be a bust. Our species is stuck in a rut.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Dec 21, 2016 - 11:03am PT
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I should have assumed this thread would be a bust. Our species is stuck in a rut.
Bushman, keep the charge.
We have a bunch of narrow-minded, short-term minded, debbie downers here. You'd think they were curlers and knitters instead of climbers.
The facts are simple: we're always going to have poverty, ecological boom and bust cycles, social collapses worldwide, etc in our future. They are just givens, fundamentals of Nature. They are not a reason or excuse, despite their tragic aspect, to pull back from advancing culture or civilization long-term which is what spacefaring and colonizing Mars will do.
Thank the Gods for the Elon Musks, Jeff Bezos', Richard Brandsons, Neil Armstrongs, Steve Wozniaks, von Brauns, etc...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mars_Project
W von Braun
Where there is no vision, the people perish. Onward Martians!
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Dec 21, 2016 - 11:24am PT
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Here's a nice summary of the chief obstacle...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_threat_from_cosmic_rays
Noteworthy:
"Several Apollo astronauts reported seeing light flashes, although the precise biological mechanisms responsible are unclear. Likely pathways include heavy ion interactions with retinal photoreceptors and Cherenkov radiation resulting from particle interactions within the vitreous humor."
...
"Stay open. Who knows? Lightning may strike."
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2016 - 11:38am PT
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Yes, the truth is out there. It is worrisome to me when I see so many who would think they already know the answers, so they might think; what's the point of spending more money on space?
So I grouse...
squeaky wheel + grease = motion.
Fire + ass = movement
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Dec 21, 2016 - 11:42am PT
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I'm for spending money on space exploration. But no reason to send people into space.
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c wilmot
climber
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Dec 21, 2016 - 12:32pm PT
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We have 20 trillion in debt. Much of it from the last eight years. Let's not send money to space. And that's Ignoring the massive impact on the environment. Why is it that the people vocal about climate change also promote gooing to mars?
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Lassitude 33
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Dec 21, 2016 - 12:35pm PT
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Considering we have spent over 1.1 Trillion dollars on the second Iraq/Gulf War (and not even considering the ongoing fallout of that misadventure), spending tens of billions on human space exploration seems a much better allocation of resources.
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2016 - 12:35pm PT
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Gooing places, it's what we doo...
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c wilmot
climber
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Dec 21, 2016 - 12:36pm PT
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Or we could focus on our crumbling infrastructure, rising inequality and massive homeless problem. lA times recently reported there being over 60,000 homeless kids in Los Angeles county alone. That is shameful. We have no humanity as a country, only greed and self desire
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ecdh
climber
the east
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Dec 21, 2016 - 12:47pm PT
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Maybe the US shouldnt go into space, but doesnt mean other nations shouldnt.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 21, 2016 - 03:43pm PT
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I guess being a Downer Debbie means not believing that money grows on trees.
I guess being a forward thinking futurist means believing you can have yer
cake and eat it, too. Life is about choices and choosing a daily free lunch
isn't a long term strategy as the national debt soars beyond belief, but then
I don't live with my mom so I guess I have a jaundiced view of reality.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Dec 21, 2016 - 03:45pm PT
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I doubt the unrest will be civil.
We will put women on Mars, hopfullly in one piece.
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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Dec 21, 2016 - 04:45pm PT
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Space is hostile to you.
A life of confinement dying from the inside.
Solitary confinement.
This planet is our home.
Head in the sky while destroying your mother is just lunacy.
The rut is endless, thoughless growth
Without reason or wisdom
Why?
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