Let it snow -- on Mars: NASA

Status
Not open for further replies.
Xeke said:
We need the moon as a staging point to get to Mars.
Click to expand...

I just don't want to see us getting bogged down on the Moon for 40+ years. I'm not saying we shouldn't go to the Moon first, but NASA should ALWAYS have a manned mission to Mars as their ultimate goal, and everything done on the moon should help progress towards that goal.

I don't want the Moon return program to become another Shuttle program.
 
Rindain said:
I just don't want to see us getting bogged down on the Moon for 40+ years. I'm not saying we shouldn't go to the Moon first, but NASA should ALWAYS have a manned mission to Mars as their ultimate goal, and everything done on the moon should help progress towards that goal.

I don't want the Moon return program to become another Shuttle program.
Click to expand...

The problem is that it takes so much fuel to exit the atmosphere that they would need to refuel somewhere before heading to Mars to have enough fuel to get to Mars, take off again from Mars and then return to Earth. A moon base is needed for refueling first.

Martian daytime summer temps get up to a balmy 68 F.:D
 
Ferrio said:
Great, now alaska and mars currently have something in common at this moment.
Click to expand...

you mean the fact that they both lacked intelligent lifeforms wasn't something they had in common before?
 
dustytruly said:
you mean the fact that they both lacked intelligent lifeforms wasn't something they had in common before?
Click to expand...
2v2uu4z.gif
 
I wonder what that snow tastes like.

/adds yet another thing to the list of extraterrestrial things I will never get to snack on.
 
Mars is essentially in the same orbit... Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe.
 
Xeke said:
The problem is that it takes so much fuel to exit the atmosphere that they would need to refuel somewhere before heading to Mars to have enough fuel to get to Mars, take off again from Mars and then return to Earth. A moon base is needed for refueling first.

Martian daytime summer temps get up to a balmy 68 F.:D
Click to expand...

And that's not even discounting the problem of refining fuel on the moon. I doubt there's oil on the moon and it's not cost effective or practical to transport that much fuel to a moon base. No, we're not going to Mars unless we find an abundant/renewable fuel source. It's all common knowledge, but we can't even find a solution for our own fuel problems, let alone on the moon.

Mars is essentially in the same orbit... Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe.
Click to expand...

There's a little thing called Nitrogen you are forgetting.
 
besada said:
Not really either. It's a failed planet. It lacks the dynamo of a liquid metallic core, so it doesn't generate enough of a magnetic field to protect itself from the solar wind, which has essentially ripped its atmosphere away.

Earth is only protected because we have a nice chunky magnetic field keeping the solar wind at bay, and we have that because we have circulating liquid metals generating a huge magnetic field to protect us.

No one really knows why Mars stopped generating an effective magnetic field about 4 billion years ago. The science suggests that the core is still partially liquid, but not circulating enough to protect the planet.

Mars is an Earth-like planet that went off the rails a long time ago, so what we see is what's left of the early stages of planetary formation.
Click to expand...

Your post was more interesting and worthwhile then watching Discovery channel for the last few years.

Thumb's up.
 
I would die a happy man if I live to see mankind land on Mars. I hope that China and Russia will continue to invest in their space programs so we can get another good ol' space race going. If that happens I think I just may live to see it.
 
evilromero said:
All this money being spent on what? Finding out fucking snow falls from a martian cloud? Very poetic.
Click to expand...

Gaining experience and knowledge concerning the conditions needed for water formation is worth every penny Nasa spends on it. Exploring and studying our solar system is the destiny of the human race, every little step counts.
 
Mashing said:
And that's not even discounting the problem of refining fuel on the moon. I doubt there's oil on the moon and it's not cost effective or practical to transport that much fuel to a moon base. No, we're not going to Mars unless we find an abundant/renewable fuel source. It's all common knowledge, but we can't even find a solution for our own fuel problems, let alone on the moon.
Click to expand...

Er, oil is not used as a fuel for spaceflight. Much more explosive (and expensive) fuels are used. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Solid_Rocket_Booster#Propellant, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_external_tank#Components.

I don't know where you guys are getting these ideas about needing a moon base to go to mars, or needing a renewable fuel source to do it. I don't think NASA considers either of those requirements for going to Mars, and neither of them provide much if any practical benefit to going to Mars.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Snow & White | Review Thread
Community  2
80
5K
GymWolf replied
'Stranded' NASA Astronauts Return to Earth on SpaceX Dragon
News Science 
32
1K
calistan replied
Snow is here again!
2
50
2K
Durien replied
NASA Curiosity Mars Photos
2
84
4K
Windle Poons replied
Snow White 2025 Official Trailer | Gal Gadot & Rachel Zegler
8 9 10 11 12
568
36K
RagnarokIV replied
Top Bottom