[ravingnutter]

What they forgot in the article you linked is that we will go back to the moon first. We can then use the moon as a base to go to Mars, significantly cutting the cost of that trip, as was explained yesterday by the man that wrote the original Bush I space plan. He also stated that one of the plans being considered involves building "collectors" to collect radiation and beaming it to collectors on earth via microwave technology. This could feasibly run electrical power for the whole nation and significantly reduce the dependence on foreign oil. Awsome....

[Salgak]

Solar Power Satellites have been a workable concept since the 1970s, AND the economics are compelling: payback of initial investment within 25 years AND generating a self-bootstrapping industrial structure in space.

It's a win-win situation all around.

I'll quote Dr. Jerry Pournelle on space investment:

"It's raining soup out there. Time to invest in making some bowls. . . "

[Moonman62]

What they forgot in the article you linked is that we will go back to the moon first. We can then use the moon as a base to go to Mars, significantly cutting the cost of that trip, as was explained yesterday by the man that wrote the original Bush I space plan.

I would think that the cost of the moon base plus the cost of a mars mission from there would be equal to or greater than the cost of a mars mission from earth.

I think some people are assuming that the moon base is free. I mean, why not, it's the government's money.

[SunkenCiv]

Quite right. The only Mars-related rhetoric is "Mars First" and "Mars Direct". The article at Paul's link did have this -- The phaseout of the discredited shuttles and cash-burning ISS will cause many scientists to heave sighs of relief.

The Shuttle has eaten the space program, and is nothing now but PC PR. The ISS is going to cost a bundle, and may have cost more than $50 billion already, plus it will be dumped into the Pacific within 15 years, having given us nothing.

[SunkenCiv]

Quite right. The only Mars-related rhetoric is "Mars First" and "Mars Direct". The article at Paul's link did have this -- The phaseout of the discredited shuttles and cash-burning ISS will cause many scientists to heave sighs of relief.

The Shuttle has eaten the space program, and is nothing now but PC PR. The ISS is going to cost a bundle, and may have cost more than $50 billion already, plus it will be dumped into the Pacific within 15 years, having given us nothing.