Why Is The Government Suddenly Trying to Colonize Mars

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   Shakka Jamesposted 11 years ago

   So, I read that the government, not only the United States government but governments of other countries are working towards colonizing Mars. Colonization of Mars should begin in the year 2023. This is the next 10 years. Can anyone explain what the rush is about? Why now?

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      paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There is a pesky asteroid that was recently discovered...

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         Alexander Markposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         No solid plans to go to Mars, instead we are going to an asteroid. We aim high...

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      Bendo13posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Actually the dates you're talking about refer to this http://mars-one.com/en/
      and from what I'm seeing it has nothing to do with the government.
      
      It's going to be a reality TV show... yes, people will give up their lives on earth to live on Mars for a TV show, and of course research.
      
      Could be very interesting and it is done by sponsors and investors - all private... so, this won't cost the tax payers anything.
      
      Sign up next year and maybe you'll be one of the 40 to go

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         cryptidposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Are you allowed to nominate people you'd like to send to Mars?    I can come up with a list.

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            Bendo13posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Haha, I'm pretty interested in the project and it'd probably be the only reality TV show I'd ever watch.  I wonder how they will choose people myself - probably a certain age, health, background and so on.
            
            I doubt they want drama between the astronauts to be the focus - the things they see and experience should be drama enough.  But they'd have to be sure that they don't send anyone sick... who's going to heal them?
            
            I bet one of the first four will be a doctor.

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         scottcgruberposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Wow! I hadn't heard about that - thank you!
         
         I'm a bit skeptical about it actually happening. It's an extremely ambitious project, even if SpaceX is one of the partners. I can't quite fathom how they're going to find people who are intellectually and emotionally capable of carrying out the mission who are also eager to die on another planet.
         
         It will be interesting to watch it unfold, to say the least...
         
         
         True. They'll also need a brave and sure captain to lead the mission. And a likeable but somewhat bumbling first mate. I envision there also being an older, wealthy couple to give elderly viewers someone to relate to. Plus they'll want a couple of female leads to round out the cast - perhaps a washed-up actress and a girl-next-door type. That's a good source of dramatic tension.
         
         This could be a hit!

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   relacheposted 11 years ago

   It's to distract people from focusing on actual Earth issues, like fixing governments, the environment and reinventing the world economy.

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      jomineposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      +1, if what she 'read' is true.

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   Cagsilposted 11 years ago

   And why exactly does two threads on this topic need to be in existence?
   
   http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/99579
   
   You starting two separate thread on the same topic is against forum rules.

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   Like what the movie 'Star Wars' did.

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   scottcgruberposted 11 years ago

   Where did you "recently read" this? Your other thread on the same topic? The U.S. government might have a launch vehicle and operational human-rated crew capsule by 2021, if there are no budgeting or production delays. Mars exploration isn't a remote possibility until the mid 2030s, and even then we mightr just be sending humans to Phobos. Besides - all of the experiments that have tried to simulate life in a self-sustaining bio-dome have been failures, as far as I know.  If we can't even build a working replica of a Mars colony, we're nowhere near the real thing. Mars colonization is a distant fantasy.

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      jomineposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      +1

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   recommend1posted 11 years ago

   Bush and Cheney clan probably have a total world war planned and need somewhere else to stack up all them dollars they will make from it.

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      kirstenblogposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Can you eat, breath or drink dollars?
      
      They don't really seem like the sharpest knives in the drawer if that is their thinking

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   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   Getting to Mars "within 30 years" has been the official plan since the sixties.
   
   Given that we currently have to hitch a ride with the Russian to get to an orbiting station ... well, I somehow doubt that Mars is a plausible goal.
   
   Its a pie-in-the-sky idea to distract from the fact that the US currently has no space flight capacity whatsoever. Not even rockets.

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      recommend1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The Chinese have just successfully docked with their own space station and several Chinese astronauts are up there now - they have plans for a Mars lander or a Mars moon lander, I forget which - but they will be the only ones left who can afford it soon anyway, especially if they team up with Russia and cut us  out of the deal.

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   cryptidposted 11 years ago

   I'd be interested in seeing this source as well.  As far as $$ goes, putting live humans on Mars does not seem to be a priority for the U.S. government. 
   
   Sure we're working toward it, but in the next 10 years?  That would take some serious resources and dedication, neither of which the government is currently willing to allocate to the space program.

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      psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It is a thirty year plan to be done by private companies.
      
      It ain't gonna happen.

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   Cheeky Girlposted 11 years ago

   It must be an election year. This comes around ...

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    Druid Dudeposted 11 years ago

    We, as in the U.S.A., barely have the capability at present to even get to orbit (manned). I think Mars, asteroid, or Sea of Tranquility is out of the picture.

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