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First Details of Manned Mars Mission From NASA
OriginalArlen writes "The BBC has a first look at NASA's initial concepts for a manned Mars mission, currently penciled in for 2031. The main vehicle would be assembled on orbit over three or four launches of the planned Ares V heavy lift rocket. New abilities to repair, replace, and even produce replacement parts will be needed to provide enough self-sufficiency for a 30 months mission, including 16 months on the surface. The presentation was apparently delivered at a meeting of the Lunar Exploration Management Group, although there's nothing on their site yet."
Why was I modded troll? Is any comment that says anything about a subject in a political context always assumed to be a troll? I fail to see why that is deserved.
Imagine what giving them just 0.5% more of the US budget would do in comparison to how little the last few additions of 0.5% did to improving the situation in Iraq. :-/
That's really depressing to think about, IMHO...
(the total NASA budget is about 0.6%... err, that is, not 24% as estimated by an all too large share of the US population)
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Imagine what giving them just 0.5% more of the US budget would do in comparison to how little the last few additions of 0.5% did to improving the situation in Iraq. :-/
Last time I checked the situation in Iraq has improved substantially. It appears that it's time for you to bark up some other tree.
Anyway, I think a better thing to imagine would be taking the 14-odd percent of every American's paycheck (including the employer's contribution) that is currently being pissed away into the ponzi scheme we call Social Security and instead allow the worker to invest it into private retirement accounts. That way, instead of getting a measly $900 or $1,000 per month to buy beans and raman noodles, even the lowest paid workers would be able to live better than they did while they were working. More money to spend means more economic activity, which means more tax revenue, which means more money for things like sending some folks to Mars.
"Taking a trillion dollars, loading it on a Shuttle" a shuttle??? one shuttle???? wait a second..
:D
one 100 dollar note weighs around 1 gram.
1 million dollars in 100 dollar denominations would mean 10,000 notes that means 10 kg, and so
1 billion dollars would weigh 10,000kg
1 trillion, 10,000,000 kg
space shuttle payload capacity for lower earth orbit (according to wiki) is 24,000 kg
and so one trillion dollars means filling 417 space shuttles!! not "a space shuttle" but 417 shuttles..and can you imagine how long will that take? over 8 years even if NASA can somehow manage to send space shuttles every week loaded with 100 dollar notes.
so a small correction in your comment
"Taking a trillion dollars, loading it on 417 Space Shuttles, and dispersing it all on orbit would have been just as productive a use of the money. A purposeless war we were lied into by an incompetent fraud."