[lee martell]

Remind me again; why do we need to go to Mars?
The old reason “Because it’s there!’ won’t do.
We haven’t even ‘tamed’ the Moon yet.

I’m thinking this mission to Mars is mostly about keeping NASA and related manufacterers solidly employed and in the money for the next three generations. Gotta look out
for # 1., you know.

**Of course, some still wonder if we even ever went to the Moon in the first place. Seeing how relentlessly partisan the FBI, CIA, IRS and what have you can be during the Obama & Trump years, I say anything is possible. These agencies are no longer above reproach.

[dfwgator]

Whitey’s on Mars!

[Susquehanna Patriot]

“I’m thinking this mission to Mars is mostly about keeping NASA and related manufacterers solidly employed and in the money for the next three generations. Gotta look out
for # 1., you know.”

You are right. When Apollo ended, many felt the money was better spent on human welfare problems here on earth. It took a while, but now that that crowd has been long “paid off” and institutionalized, time to throw a few stories out there about aliens visiting the earth and the need to go to Mars, ... it’s a multi-decade, billions of dollars ... great gig for selected interests.

[C210N]

Instead of spending trillions on rockets and training and tech, it's a LOT cheaper and cost effective to build a Hollywood-like studio and film it... kind of like Stanley Kubrick did. I think that was around the time of 2001 Space Odyssey.

And if you go this route, you could have the trillion$ on the books, while now free to spend it in other non-space ways.