Europe joins the race to put a man on Mars

Reuters ^ | 2.3.04 | Reuters

[RoseofTexas]

Aren't they the ones whose Beagle is stranded?

Hehehhheh...can you say BEAGLE REDUX?!! bawhahahhaha!

[SkyRat]

Yet, right after his proposal comes out, we see a flood of these "mee too!" articles from Europe, China, and Russia..

I think you are wrong there. First was China and then the "me too!" stuff from US, Russia and Europe.

The whole thing started with the Chinese putting a man in orbit and their plan to build a moon base within 2015.

[LibWhacker]

I think it's funny. We announce we're going to do it, so they harrumph and carry on and finally say they intend to do exactly the same thing, lol. Just can't stand American greatness.

I'm actually quite pleased by all this. It'll be good for space exploration and space travel, and perhaps make up for 30 years of foot dragging.

[RightWhale]

the Chinese putting a man in orbit and their plan to build a moon base within 2015

Robotics should be a huge part of the American base-building. Both the moon base and the eventual Mars base will probably be built by robots before humans show up. The race is more of a robot race than a rocket race. That is where we'll see the most advances in tech--nearly autonomous robots with assigned tasks.

[unibrowshift9b20]

Europe is going to do a mars mission without even having a manned space ship?!

Thats even crazier than the "privatize space people" who think Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne is going to do a moon landing and start up the lunar Hilton. (SpaceShipOne is suborbital, its like a great big model rocket with people in it, only it has an innovative way of landing.)

[Phil V.]

If you'd like to be on or off this MARS ping list please FRail me

[blam]

"Which is more likely in 30 years?:"

B

[AFreeBird]

Aren't they the ones whose Beagle is stranded?

Stranded implies being left behind, like you stranded your kid at his hockey game.

Beagle is DEAD! As in lost contact; never to be seen or heard from again.

[jpsb]

We need to go back to the moon before we can go to Mars,"

What's this we stuff, Americans went to the moon, not Europeans.

[AFreeBird]

Thats even crazier than the "privatize space people" who think Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne is going to do a moon landing and start up the lunar Hilton. (SpaceShipOne is suborbital, its like a great big model rocket with people in it, only it has an innovative way of landing.)

Spaceship One is a proof of concept vehicle. And sub orbital is nothing to sneeze at coming from a "private" enterprise. After all, Alan Sheperd's government sponsored Mercury/Redstone flight was suborbital, and that was just the begining.

If they can do it first, and they appear to be further along than others; it's a 10 mil payday from the X-Prize organization.

[night reader]

Stranded implies being left behind, like you stranded your kid at his hockey game.

Beagle is DEAD! As in lost contact; never to be seen or heard from again.
============================================
Unless we decide to find it and bring it back so they can repair it and try again!

[Professional Engineer]

Three decades? By that time, the Euro wussinauts will be greeted by American realtors on Mars.

ROFLMAO All Your Mars Are Belong To USA.

[unibrowshift9b20]

"Spaceship One is a proof of concept vehicle. And sub orbital is nothing to sneeze at coming from a "private" enterprise. After all, Alan Sheperd's government sponsored Mercury/Redstone flight was suborbital, and that was just the begining.

If they can do it first, and they appear to be further along than others; it's a 10 mil payday from the X-Prize organization."

Yeah, I have to give him credit, but I don't see how his design is different enough from a conventional rocket to be able to make it affordable enough commercially. The only real difference is the White Knight to lift it and the interesting reentry wing conversion. Its a good start but not enough to make it a technology that you can take vacations on.

[pointsal]

Is it possible to get FROG volunteers to go to the Moon or Mars? If so, please have them provide names and civil servant rankings.....so the biggest dimwits go FIRST.

[RightWhale]

Robotics is the new tech. NASA already has robotics in the FY 05 budget and they will be looking for expertise. While the space race 40 years ago was mostly rockets, the new space race will be robotics.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Destructor]

"ROFLMAO All Your Mars Are Belong To USA."

You nailed it!

[af_vet_rr]

Three decades? By that time, the Euro wussinauts will be greeted by American realtors on Mars.

The French are going to be royally pissed to land on Mars and find a Dairy Queen or McDonald's every 10 or 15 miles :-)