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Europe Joins Race To Send Humans To Mars
hereisnowhy writes "CBC reports that the ESA hopes to send humans to Mars within three decades. They first hope to return a Martian soil sample by 2014. They stress the importance of determining whether Mars ever supported life before humans touch down on the surface, because "You can sterilize a robot. But you cannot do the same to an astronaut. Inevitably a human will introduce microbes to the planet ... and contaminate it."" Kame-sennin links to a Reuters article on the plans.
The planet would be fully terraformed within a week.
Cheers.
"You can sterilize a robot. But you cannot do the same to an astronaut."
With a chopping block and a knife....
Sure you can, just take the shielding out of his microwave oven.
Unknown host pong.
...they probably won't use nuclear craft either. Nevermind that nuclear engines are the most efficient and workable solution. Nevermind that we were building nuclear ramjets in the 50's and production ready nuclear rockets in the 60's.
Oh wait. That stuff was done by the US. Has the EU ever even fired a nuclear engine? Nevermind.
*sigh*
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Well you CAN sterilize humans, but it's really not very polite.
Yes, but relying on those very, very stupid ppl will doom the colony to a history of mediocrity and poor leadership. You know, like Australia.
Australia was a dumping ground for poor people the mother country didn't want and threw away as "criminals"... and hasn't turned out badly anyway.
A while ago, I heard some Aussie comment that he was glad that Australia got all the criminals and America got all the religious people.
Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
...and back here at Mission Control, Bob, they're all speechless. Noone seems to even want to try to explain why Astronaut Nolan decided to write his name on the Maritian surface with his own urine. Back to you Bob ...
RFC2119
I've been to Bora Bora, and the cosmic rays did get me.
Get real, lets send some good ones up there.. Lets see, make fake invitations to Darl McBride and John Ashcroft to go meet at the headquarters of the RIAA, maybe even get Hillary Rosen to show up. Then attach rocket boosters to building and send the whole lot up.