NRC human spaceflight report says NASA strategy can’t get humans to Mars

washingtonpost.com ^ | Wednesday, June 4 | Joel Achenbach,

[BenLurkin]

The key argument against the Constellation program was that it didn’t pencil out — that there wasn’t nearly enough money dedicated to the program to achieve the lunar landing it envisioned. But now the NRC committee has delivered essentially the same assessment of the Obama Administration’s current NASA program of record. If the goal is Mars, the committee said, the current strategy isn’t going to work.

“Absent a very fundamental change in the nation’s way of doing business, it is not realistic to believe that we can achieve the consensus goal of reaching Mars,” committee co-chair and former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said Wednesday morning in an interview.

NASA spokesperson David Weaver said the agency welcomed the report, and characterized it as being “consistent with the bipartisan plan agreed to by Congress and the Administration in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and that we have been implementing ever since.”

[dartuser]

But it will help muslims feel better about themselves.

[Diogenesis]

What?? Helping Moslems didn’t help?

Destroying the space program for Islam did not help?

Destroying American productivity for Islam did not help?

[Ray76]

Islam always destroys.

[ScottinVA]

Let it be an entirely private venture.

[Steely Tom]

But it will help muslims feel better about themselves.

An imam issued a fatwa against spaceflight and - IIRC - against colonizing other heavenly bodies. I think this happened last year.

This could have something to do with why NASA doesn't really have a serious plan for going to Mars.

BTW, it's hard to kneel toward Mecca when you're on another planet. Even harder when you're weightless, I should imagine.

[apillar]

I’m guessing when there finally is a manned mission to Mars it will be the private sector that does it. NASA problem is they have too many masters they have to try and please (Congress, the White House, federal contractors, the scientific community, the media, regulators, etc) , each with a different list of goals, demands and desires, many at cross purposes with each other. This is a recipe for massive cost overruns and delays.

[Malone LaVeigh]

NASA strategy can’t get humans to Mars

What about libs?

[Vinylly]

Haven’t you heard yet? Mars is already occupied. The aliens from outerspace are using it for a base so they can take over the world.

[cloudmountain]

BTW, it's hard to kneel toward Mecca when you're on another planet. Even harder when you're weightless, I should imagine.

An imam would eventually solve that, possibly by kneeling towards the sun in the morning and away from it by sunset.

The weightlessness could be solved with local rocks in pocket, turban or pants.

[cloudmountain]

NASA strategy can't get human on Mars
What about libs?

Well, it depends on where their head is. It's USUALLY one of three places:
1. IN THE CLOUDS, and thereby not a long journey for them,
2. In the sand so theirs would be a tough journey; or
3. Up their butt--No comment.

[JoeFromSidney]

BTW, it's hard to kneel toward Mecca when you're on another planet. Even harder when you're weightless, I should imagine.

Reminds me of a story my friend the late Harry Stine wrote that appeared in ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION several years ago. One of the crew members on the spaceship was a Muslim and had to figure out which way Mecca was so he could say his prayers.