NASA announces plans to send humans to Mars - LIVE NOW NASA TV

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

I was just going to say the same thing!

Twenty years later, they're still laying out plans to send people to Mars. "Just a few more billion and we'll finally make it happen!"

The most important thing humanity can do for itself in the long run is expand out into space.
No matter what, that is our ultimate goal if we are to continue on as a species for as long as we can.

This will be interesting to see how we are going to do this,
I hope we make it there!



s&f

NASA announces plans to send humans to Mars - @NASA

Alive or Dead?

Great achievement but a crazy waste of money when most of the world is in debt.

a reply to: PhoenixOD

I remember plans to go to Mars when I was a kid. If according to conventional theories, we're still planet-locked so to speak, then we should invest in our planet and not somewhere else. I do understand the need for exploration and our unquenchable desire to see what else is out there but we have a planet where many live in poverty and billions are squandered.

I'd love to see Mars one day but I don't want to see it at the expense of our own planet.

It sounds like we will get a missile launch on Thursday for a test....
that is rather cool.



Something to look forward to.

originally posted by: PhoenixOD
Great achievement but a crazy waste of money when most of the world is in debt.

ok

$40bn 2014 U.S space budget
$640bn 2014 U.S military budget

we spend plenty on earth.. all in the wrong place ... and if we dont spend that 40 and expand , we will be doomed eventually a small price to pay

a reply to: Quantum_Squirrel

This is the answer. The money is diverted towards areas that literally squander the funds. Space exploration has to happen because there's no doubt our planet will one day be unable to support life so we have to branch out. But we should try to get our terrestrial affairs in order before moving to the extraterrestrial stage.

a reply to: Quantum_Squirrel

What has the military budget got to do with helping the world?

Plus you can bet the space budget will be a lot more than 40billion when this gets in full flow.

a reply to: Quantum_Squirrel

Taking bets on:

1. How many budget cuts they will face
2. How many incremental projects will be scrapped
3. How many years it will be delayed

a reply to: PhoenixOD

We all know how much money NASA wastes as it is. India can do a lot of the stuff they can at 1/10th of the price.

originally posted by: PhoenixOD
a reply to: Quantum_Squirrel

What has the military budget got to do with helping the world?

Plus you can bet the space budget will be a lot more than 40billion when this gets in full flow.

you said it was a crazy waste of money

I attempted to show you a REALLY crazy way to waste money, killing children , brothers , sisters , mothers and fathers

we do it every year , along with billions in aid that gets sent to oppressive regimes who buy more tanks and weapons , so i don't see a trifling $40bn as a waste at all in this area. I see it as a must to stop more of the above..

Q

a reply to: PhoenixOD

It has about the same thing to do with the world, as the NASA budget has to do with our debt.

What Squirrel was saying is, if we can spend 640b on military and you don't find that offensive, then why does a measly 40bn all of sudden bring in to question the world's debt?

Priorities.

a reply to: parad0x122

I find them both offensive but that not the comparison i was making. The money could be spent helping the world instead of just boosting Americas ego.

originally posted by: tsurfer2000h
a reply to: lostbook

I can only think of two possibilities:

Or a third...We are looking to the planets to help us understand whether or not Mars was a livable planet at one time.

Or a fourth...we as humans are naturally looking for answers to questions we don't know the answer too.

Just looking at the Conspiracy side of things.

Just another penis size comparison contest by elitists. Geee, look at the size of that "rocket"!

A total waste of resources, considering the shape of the planet we are already on.

I don't doubt that we can do it. But, to what end? So we get there. Then set up a small colony. Then what? Build New Las Vegas? Or should we just skip to WW4? Or 5...maybe it's 6 we are on now. Have us a colonial war with martians?

The stupidity surrounding this plundering of resources and taxpayer money is mind boggling. Many more things need to be done here on earth first before we go farting off into our solar system and beyond.

One years worth of NASA funding would give underwater exploration about 100 years of funding at the rate they are working now. How much do we really even know about this planet?

a reply to: PhoenixOD

I agree that our budgets are pretty ridiculous.

But without exploration/scientific research, how else do you expect humanity in general to progress at all?

a reply to: Sparkymedic

Tell me about it. I feel we will get there eventually but we most likely will end up mining it, trashing it and developing it till it's smoggy and depressing. Then we'll go to war with them eventually either for their independence or because they need more representation, protection, connections, etc.

I hope there aren't any animals on the surface, we'll end up hunting them to extinction! A Martian Zirabao, mounted to a mahogany plaque right next to a very rare, extinct Indian elephant head

I think we humans are naturally curious, and always will want to know more, and go further. It's in our nature.

I think this is great news.
I'd be too chicken to go myself because oh so many things could go wrong, but I'm still hoping to witness it on tv.

Mars, the -hopefully not final- frontier!

This is all "State of the Nation fluff" and absolutely zero substance for USA seriously allocating budget...

Proof is $18 trillion debt count and going higher...China is going to collateralize 12 western States soon so don't get your hopes up.

Where is the Confidence Man emoticon?