After Bush speech, Russia mulls missions to Moon and Mars (...yeah right)

AFP ^ | Thu, Jan 15, 2004

[ambrose]

It is amazing what the Soviets did with the technology they had available. They sent probes to the surface of Venus for crying out loud... I hope they do join us in another "space race"...

[VaBthang4]

With whose money?

They couldnt even afford to build their own part of the cheesy "We are the World" spacestation.

[VaBthang4]

Meanwhile we sent probes out past Pluto and put a good grip of American Men on the Moon.

[RightWhale]

Russia said that it had the know-how to relaunch its space exploration programs

It's a subtle point. China says they can do this. Russia says they can do this. Bush says this is what we're going to do.

[TBall]

Couldn't they just borrow the money? From what I've been reading Russia is on the path to economic prosperity.

[Salman]

Russians have reliable big boosters. As a sub-contractor, why not the Russians?

[ffusco]

"Russia can overtake USA," an anchorwoman on state television said Thursday, echoing comments the previous day by a top Russian space official who said that Moscow is capable of placing a man on Mars within 10 years at one tenth of the cost of reported US plans.

Much money can be saved by eliminating triple redundant back-up systems and other non-essentials. Just ask the crew of the Kursk.

[ffusco]

Because they are Russians and shouldn't be trusted.

[ffusco]

They can't race. They are done. Long gone are the vast resources of the evil empire. Good riddance.

[Prime Choice]

"Russia can overtake USA," an anchorwoman on state television said Thursday, echoing comments the previous day by a top Russian space official who said that Moscow is capable of placing a man on Mars within 10 years at one tenth of the cost of reported US plans.

This is an incredible claim considering that Russia never made it to the moon in the first place. The best they were able to do was send a probe to the moon...and that crashed.

On the other hand, the Russians did excel at keeping Mir in orbit well past its expected lifespan. That's no easy feat.

I wouldn't be suprised in the least if the Lunar mission and subsequent Mars mission wound up being a multi-national effort between NASA, ESA, the Russians and (don't laugh) the Chinese.

[Prime Choice]

Much money can be saved by eliminating triple redundant back-up systems and other non-essentials. Just ask the crew of the Kursk.

Yep. Also note that the Russian spokescritter only said that Russia could get a man to Mars. They conveniently left out any mention of bringing him back alive.

[John Will]

Time for the chest beating, who's next, China?

[Dead Dog]

They've NEVER landed a functioning probe on Mars...well at least one the functioned for more than a couple of seconds.

[Prime Choice]

Time for the chest beating, who's next, China?

Don't be surprised if China makes it to the moon on a NASA/ESA spacecraft.

[Neophyte]

With whose money?

Er... the KGB-man squatting in the Kremlin could expropriate cash of another couple of oligarchs (or OILgarchs).

[Neophyte]

Because they are Russians and shouldn't be trusted.

Ping!

[LibWhacker]

Just remember, everybody . . . It's PPP not GDP that'll put Russia on Mars. </sarcasm>

[boris]

"Russians have reliable big boosters. As a sub-contractor, why not the Russians?"

Because, for example, the native U.S. rocket and booster business--and aerospace industry in general--is slowly disintegrating.

The Russians are dumping hardware because they are desperate for hard currency. Much of the hardware was developed when they called themselves "Socialist", and basically had no price since there was no way to compute economically-valid prices.

"Thank you for helping win the Cold War," U.S. aerospace workers are told. "Now go stand in the unemployment line while we buy cheap hardware from the enemy you helped defeat."

Let's see: Shuttle grounded. No more Titans. Atlas-V dependent upon a potentially hostile foreign source of engines. Delta-IV limited to military payloads only. Delta II nearing obsolescence. But let's go ahead and let what is left of the U.S. aerospace industry (particularly the launcher part) vanish into rust, and put our trust in people who tried assiduously to kill and/or enslave us all for 70 years. That's the ticket.

--Boris

[RusIvan]

Because they are Russians and shouldn't be trusted.==

It is very stupid.