NASA, European Space Agency Want To Go To Mars

coondoggie writes "NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are aiming to cooperate on all manner of robotic orbiters, landers and exploration devices for a future trip to Mars. Specifically, NASA and ESA recently agreed to consider the establishment of a new joint initiative to define and implement their scientific, programmatic, and technological goals for the exploration of Mars. The program would focus on several launch opportunities with landers and orbiters conducting astrobiological, geological, geophysical, climatological, and other high-priority investigations and aiming at returning samples from Mars in the mid-2020s."

Comments

Did NASA take their stupid pills again?

[gestalt_n_pepper]

Getting to Mars is expensive and essentially pointless. It's a big dry, inhospitable place at the bottom of a f***ing gravity well and farther from the sun than we are. Less power. Less consumables. Less everything that would matter to a human.

Near earth orbit, conversely, could be exploited for power, provide living space in the form of sustainable habitats, and can be used for zero G industries, hospitals, hotels, etc.

So, tell me again, please, aside from some scientific interest, why the F*** does anybody want to spend BILLIONS to explore Mars?

Thought question of the day: If we discovered tomorrow that there was primitive life on Mars, what difference would it make, really?

Let the flames begin!