Mars Race Heats up Further

anzha writes "It seems what was once the province of the superpowers is no longer so. ESA and the Japanese attempted their own Mars orbiters (successfully and not, respectively). The Brits fired off Beagle 2 and are talking of going for Beagle 3. Now the Canadians are talking about a probe for Mars in 2011. How long before we see the Japanese and Russians try again? Might India or China take a stab at it as well?"

Comments

Ugh, not a good thing

[Anonymous Coward]

People seem to forget that Mars is not that big of a planet (less than half the size of Earth.) At this rate we'll soon have the whole damn place littered with the remnants of our missions (successful and failed.) We already have problems with space junk in LEO, how long will it be before we have problems with "Mars junk" and will it jeopardize future missions? I'm not an environmentalist or anything but I'd rather not lose a future science mission because it collided with Japan's 2006 Rover Mark VI on landing.

Re:Ugh, not a good thing

[Tenfish]

Oh, and another thing.

Don't get too attached to this planet, or Mars either. Someday, we're going to be building gigantic structures in space. We'll be using the energy equivalent of many many stars total output. If you think that we're going to leave a planet in one piece, you're mistaken.

The ultimate future of Earth and Mars, and all the other planets in our system, is that they will be complete dissassembled for raw materials.

How will the world end? In fire? In ice? More like in a bunch of tiny pieces that were smelted into raw metals.

Re:Ugh, not a good thing

[RobertB-DC]

How will the world end? In fire? In ice? More like in a bunch of tiny pieces that were smelted into raw metals.

While I see your point, I hope it wouldn't come to that. I don't have a problem dismantling "dead" planets like Mercury and Mars, maybe even Venus, and certainly the asteroids.

But the Earth has so many unique features that you can't preserve outside an Earth-sized gravity well. You're not going to be able to recreate Yellowstone's hot springs and geysers on the surface of a Dyson Sphere, for example.

On the other hand, there's the .sig I see here on Slashdot: Earth First! We'll strip-mine the other planets later...

Lessons learned vrs need to learn

[SpaceLifeForm]

I can see others trying, but also not.

Based upon the lessons learned from prior missions, others could be encouraged. But, based upon the numerous failures, just as easily discouraged. Then when you factor in the costs involved, you certainly can argue against it.

What Spirit and Opportunity discover will probably be the main factor.

Hope the Japanese rethink this

[ObviousGuy]

With the North Korean situation the Japan and indeed the entire Asian penninsula faces, it would probably be wise of them to forego a true space program for the timebeing. It's bad enough that North Korea is already nervous about every flinch of the peace negotiators, how much more willing would they be to simply shut down the talks if Japan decided to launch a inter-planetary missile not 500 miles away from Pyongyang?

Leave launches to the Indians and Russians for now. When North Korea finally comes around to join the rest of us in the modern, civilized world there will be plenty of time for space exploration.

Re:Hope the Japanese rethink this

[kippy]

The Apollot program happened during one of the darkest wars in US history. They also launched their failed probe within the last couple of years and NK didn't freak out any more than usual.

I say Japan should go forward full force. Waiting for NK to get its act together could take centuries, seriously. No point waiting for those dolts to get it together while Japan could become one of the first multiplanet nations.

Let the land grab begin. The more, the merrier.