Bush to announced manned mission to Mars and permanent base on moon

[OzzyKP]

Excellent idea! I can't wait!



$1,500 per person!

Maybe I'd rather pay 10 bucks to buy a Star Trek movie...

[Edan]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
$1,500 per person!

Well, thats over a 10+ year period. And, of course, most of it's going to be payed by those really rich people who have most of the money and pay most of the taxes anyway...

Maybe I'd rather pay 10 bucks to buy a Star Trek movie...

Only if it's even numbered!

[Lorizael]

Thank you, Arrian. I love it when people make Guide references.

Originally posted by Edan
Only if it's even numbered!

There were odd numbered ones?

[Ned]

1. If this is funded, it will mean an enormous expansion of high tech jobs. A lot of Apolytoners will have a very rosy future working on this.

2. The Moon does make a lot of sense, because it suffers the same exposure to radiation as does Mars. If we can solve the problems of a permanent base on the Moon, we only have to worry about getting to and returning from Mars.

3. Given the bitter polictical climate prevailing today, I would not be surprised if the Dems oppose this just because Bush proposed it.

4. I wonder if any of our partners, like Japan or the EU, would like to take an active role? Should this be a joint effort?

[Brundlefly]

This announcement by Bush is either: 1) A dishonest attempt to generate some election year excitement about his presidency; or 2) An honest attempt to use space exploration as a front for funneling money to the defense industry.

It probably is both.

What could possibly be the payoff to Americans for the millions of dollars spent to create and maintain a permanent base on the moon? National Pride? Stop selling this BS, Bush. Spend that money instead on social programs and/ or give it to the states. And Mars... please.... who gives a **** about walking on Mars?
If the Chinese want to get there first, let them. Its the "red" planet after all. They'll feel right at home.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Ramo

This has got to be a joke.

In other news, Bush has decided to put poor people in labor camps to cover the budget deficit...

I don't get it.

Are you saying he shouldn't be spending when there's a deficit?

[chequita guevara]

Given that the moon is made of Earth debris, it's rather likely there is iron there. I expect, however, that any significant quantities are deep.

[The Mad Monk]

In one sense, compared to the Earth, the moon is iron-plated.

In another sense, the moon is iron deficient.

It all depends on how you look the iron.

Iron on the moon is plentiful, but it's locked in forms that terrestrial mining firms probably wouldn't look twice at due to the high extraction costs. However, if you couple those extraction costs to the transport costs of putting that iron into orbit, it suddenly becomes very economical.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by bfg9000
This announcement by Bush is either: 1) A dishonest attempt to generate some election year excitement about his presidency; or 2) An honest attempt to use space exploration as a front for funneling money to the defense industry.

It probably is both.

What could possibly be the payoff to Americans for the millions of dollars spent to create and maintain a permanent base on the moon? National Pride? Stop selling this BS, Bush. Spend that money instead on social programs and/ or give it to the states. And Mars... please.... who gives a **** about walking on Mars?
If the Chinese want to get there first, let them. Its the "red" planet after all. They'll feel right at home.

What, you think this planet is going to last forever?

It is in our best interests to get the colonization ball rolling, and sooner rather than later.

We really need to get off this rock.

[Ned]

Originally posted by bfg9000
This announcement by Bush is either: 1) A dishonest attempt to generate some election year excitement about his presidency; or 2) An honest attempt to use space exploration as a front for funneling money to the defense industry.

What did I say?

The left simply cannot address the merits of anything Bush proposes. Everything, absolutely everything, becomes a political issue.

[:) Smiley]

It's perhaps a result of him realizing that Yellowstone (See this thread: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...hreadid=105900) is gonna blow, and he needs to create some new states to make up for those in the Midwest republican stronghold that are gonna turn into the next Great Lake.

But for the sake of peace on Earth, the US needs to expand into space. The US is incapable of not expanding, and as the last two wars have shown it's not possible to do it on Earth anymore without someone else getting cheesed.

[Ned]

Smiley, well, there was a reason we planted the US flag on the Moon.

We will soon plant one on Mars as well.

Latecomers are trespassers and will have to pay rent.

[History Guy]

Sounds like an utter waste of time. Leaving the earth could be of no earthly use!

[chequita guevara]

I wanna get to Mars early, while beach front property is still cheap.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ned
Smiley, well, there was a reason we planted the US flag on the Moon.

We will soon plant one on Mars as well.

Latecomers are trespassers and will have to pay rent.

Not according to international agreements on extraterrestrial bodies they won't.