Actually, I work with air traffic control R&D, not in the Government directly, but certainly with them. I'm one of those who keeps pushing the system, trying to get something done, AND standing on principles. Occasionally I succeed.
The responses to my original comment were encouraging! However, let me clarify a few things.
Under the aegis of NASA/Congress/et al, I don't think we have the ability to go to Mars. It requires very serious committment, something which Washington doesn't typically support. A mission to Mars cannot be subject to budgetary whims typical of Congress.
Technically, sure, we should be able to do it. Why not? Yes, we've gone to the moon. Going to Mars will be more difficult, but most of the difficult things are already solved, specifically materials science. Geez, if we'd had 450MHz PIIs in the Lunar Module (running real-time Linux, of course), it could have landed itself.
As far as sending a Mars lauch vehicle in advance, I think something such as that would be essential for safety, and could also be sent on a slower trajectory. It could also include living space, lab, et al. If it didn't check out properly after landing, the astronauts turn around at Mars for home a la Apollo XIII, without landing.
It takes grey matter, guts, and good hard/firm/software to go to Mars. Hype and a web site aren't enough.
That means, "Not In My Lifetime". Running a manned mission to Mars requires an extraordinary committment in time and resources. At closest point of approach, the distance to Mars is roughly 48 million miles from Earth, or roughly 200 times the distance to the Moon.
Technology, engineering, economics, people, and reality being what they are, such a mission would likely be limited to between 8 and 10 months - 3 to 4 months each way and 2 months on the planet. Much quicker and the expense to travel becomes enormous; much slower and the mission becomes untenable. We'd need to be capable of carrying sufficient food and water, balanced against resouces to recycle waste products. We'd need to be able to land on this planet that has an atmosphere (albeit a thin one) and subsequently lift off of it. Landing is easy; having an adequate launch vehicle on the red planet is not.
'Tis a grand vision, indeed, and would be a truly great journey. I hold little hope for it.
Slashdot Mirror
The responses to my original comment were encouraging! However, let me clarify a few things.
Under the aegis of NASA/Congress/et al, I don't think we have the ability to go to Mars. It requires very serious committment, something which Washington doesn't typically support. A mission to Mars cannot be subject to budgetary whims typical of Congress.
Technically, sure, we should be able to do it. Why not? Yes, we've gone to the moon. Going to Mars will be more difficult, but most of the difficult things are already solved, specifically materials science. Geez, if we'd had 450MHz PIIs in the Lunar Module (running real-time Linux, of course), it could have landed itself.
As far as sending a Mars lauch vehicle in advance, I think something such as that would be essential for safety, and could also be sent on a slower trajectory. It could also include living space, lab, et al. If it didn't check out properly after landing, the astronauts turn around at Mars for home a la Apollo XIII, without landing.
It takes grey matter, guts, and good hard/firm/software to go to Mars. Hype and a web site aren't enough.
Graham
Technology, engineering, economics, people, and reality being what they are, such a mission would likely be limited to between 8 and 10 months - 3 to 4 months each way and 2 months on the planet. Much quicker and the expense to travel becomes enormous; much slower and the mission becomes untenable. We'd need to be capable of carrying sufficient food and water, balanced against resouces to recycle waste products. We'd need to be able to land on this planet that has an atmosphere (albeit a thin one) and subsequently lift off of it. Landing is easy; having an adequate launch vehicle on the red planet is not.
'Tis a grand vision, indeed, and would be a truly great journey. I hold little hope for it.
Graham