Mars Colony Will Have To Wait, Says NASA Scientists

universetoday.com ^ | 03/30/2016 | matt williams

[BenLurkin]

Establishing a human settlement on Mars has been the fevered dream of space agencies for some time. Long before NASA announced its “Journey to Mars” – a plan that outlined the steps that need to be taken to mount a manned mission by the 2030s – the agency’s was planning how a crewed mission could lead to the establishing of stations on the planet’s surface. And it seems that in the coming decades, this could finally become a reality.

But when it comes to establishing a permanent colony – another point of interest when it comes to Mars missions – the coming decades might be a bit too soon. Such was the message during a recent colloquium hosted by NASA’s Future In-Space Operations (FISO) working group. Titled “Selecting a Landing Site for Humans on Mars”, this presentation set out the goals for NASA’s manned mission in the coming decades.

Established in 2006 by the then-active FISO Working Group, the FISO lecture series is intended as an innovative outreach effort, helping leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering and space exploration connect with the public. Held on March 16th, the colloquium touched on a number of issues which were raised at the the First Landing Site/Exploration Zone Workshop for Human Missions to the Surface of Mars – which took place in October of 2015 at the Lunar Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, TX.

[GraceG]

The West has no future, except as either harem women or harem eunuchs.

[GraceG]

[ Translation: Politicians fear freedom and do not want to lose control of population. ]

I have heard some people say that we easily have propulsion tech to settle the rest of the solar system within 50 years if we started now, but losing control of populations like how the UK lost control of the colonies scares the hell out of the elite....

[tet68]

While we should keep thinking about Mars, our focus
should be on long term habitation on the moon.
We have been there before, extending our stays
and building facilities are prudent steps
along the way.

Not a problem if we put all the money that is wasted
on stupid socialist programs into it.

[DiogenesLamp]

We could be there for a fraction of what is spent on welfare.

It is my understanding that the US Government has spent 21 Trillion dollars on Welfare since 1964 when this vote buying scheme first started.

The program has been a resounding success! Democrats have been in power for most of those years since.

[DiogenesLamp]

The West has no future, except as either harem women or harem eunuchs.

That's because we haven't played "Cowboys and Muslims" yet.

[WakeUpAndVote]

The basement dwellers will have no problem with this. Give them internet and Cheetos.

[driftdiver]

Many issues which are more difficult to solve than that one.

[pax_et_bonum]

“We can’t just leave them stranded out there!” - Sheila Jackson Lee

[DiogenesLamp]

I was trained as a scientist (inquire, investigate, and all that), and I agree with you completely.

A person in debt ought not spend a huge amount of (borrowed) money to travel to, say, the Australian outback in the off chance he might find something interesting there. That person should get his own finances in order first.

Same goes for countries.

The 24th amendment has insured that that will never happen again. Once you allow non-Taxpayers to vote, you will never balance your finances again.

It has created a positive feedback loop.

[KittenClaws]

Why even put Mars in the equation? It makes better sense to start a colony on the moon first and work out the technology from there.

At least if things go terribly wrong, the colonists would have a chance of getting back to Earth.

[DiogenesLamp]

That was a really good movie except for all the politically correct nonsense they stuffed in it.

Does anyone know if the book was full of this same politically correct nonsense?

[baltimorepoet]

That's because we haven't played "Cowboys and Muslims" yet.

I suspect by the time it gets to that point, Europe will already be consumed by Islam and will just become breeding stock to create more jihadists for their eventual war on the US and Canada. By that time, there will probably be 2-3 billion Muslims, and multiple Islamic countries and groups with nukes, to say nothing of how many 5th columnist Muslims will be living in this country that will probably be even weaker and infested with socialists and the "participation trophy" generation.

[dfwgator]

Earth First! We’ll mine the other planets later.

[DiogenesLamp]

I suspect by the time it gets to that point, Europe will already be consumed by Islam and will just become breeding stock to create more jihadists for their eventual war on the US and Canada.

I think it will get to that point first. Portions of Europe are already thinking about dealing with the Islamists who are already there. Groups like "Sons of Odin" are taking up intimidation where they feel it is necessary.

I'll wager they are going to find a lot more intimidation necessary.

[Leaning Right]

The 24th amendment has insured that that will never happen again. Once you allow non-Taxpayers to vote, you will never balance your finances again.

It's sad, but you are correct about that. A quote attributed to Alexander Tytler:

A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

[baltimorepoet]

I really doubt that the “participation trophy” generation that whines about “safe spaces” and “microaggressions” has either the discipline or the courage to handle invaders that won’t hesitate to saw someone’s head off with a big knife while blood spurts out their neck, or burn someone alive in a metal cage with gasoline.

We can forget about an American mission to Mars. Assuming we even have working TVs in 30 years, we can watch China land on Mars.

[CincyRichieRich]

Perhaps they can build a mosque there and send everyone where...relocate Mecc-a-ca? Well, a guy’s gotta dream.

[PIF]

We had the tech in 1963 ... Nixon later killed everything to do with deep space manned missions - he kept the LEO bit with the faux shuttle and the ISS.

[GraceG]

Lurkin, an underground antarctic “colony” would be a great project for a religious group in the USA looking for a place for religious freedom.

Think “Techno-pilgrims”

Powered by either geothermal or Molten Salt reactor, farming underground using vertical farming, export industry based of semi-conductors(to get things that are unattainable underground).

Need to expand for population growth? Dig more tunnels and setup more “hubs” underground, plenty of space to expand 3-D under Antarctica, (most of Antarctica is over 4,000 ft above sealevel). Settlements would be “branching hub” architecture spaced out enough to allow for plenty of growth. The average underground temps would be between 40-60 degrees F even in Antarctica. You could make nice “open spaces” in the center hub like areas like parks with artificial lights and Day/Night cycles. etc...

You could settle a billion people in an area the size of the state of Connecticut.

[alexander_busek]

Too small, very little gravity a man would float off into space if not tethered.

Phobos - the larger and inner of the two natural satellites of Mars - has an escape velocity of roughly 40 kmh. Deimos - the smaller and outer of the two - has an escape velocity of roughly 20 kmh.

So, to escape - or even go into orbit around - either of the moons would be nigh impossible for a space-suited man, even at a full run.

Regards,