Manifest Destiny in Outer Space

The Washington Times ^ | 7/2/03 | Robert Zubrin

[narby]

As for the actual Mars trip, there was a proposal from Buzz Aldrin (second on Moon & orbital rendevus genius) to build an Earth-Mars shuttle that would remain in orbit around the sun forever. It would use orbital mechanics to slingshot back and forth between Earth and Mars.

The genius of this is that the EM shuttle could be as large and heavy will all the radiation protection and crew accutrements it wanted. Yet, you didn't have to accelerate/decelerate the whole d@mn thing every trip. The trip from Earth to EM shuttle would be in a small light vehicle that would bring people and supplies only. At the other end, another small vehicle would decelerate the passengers for landing. The EM shuttle itself would just keep on going.

Pure genius from two perspectives. 1) The technical perspective, because you could put all the goodies you needed on the ship, and only accelerate them once. 2) The political perspective, cause once you get the thing going, it would take a huge decision to abandon such an asset in space. Granted, the second point means it's more suited to a government program, but that may be all we get in space for awhile.

[narby]

Imam in Iran has preemptively claimed Mars for dar al Islaam.

At least they have the right idea. I think the politicly correct wusses we've got leading this country right now would just hand it to them.

[RoughDobermann]

Let me clarify; More than liking the idea of using the SRBs and main tank as a heavy lift vehicle, I was demonsrating my lack of enthusiasm for the orbiters themselves, especially since they can't achieve escape velocity, have been relegated to orbiting taxis for the ISS and they have a nasty tendency to blow up.

[RoughDobermann]

I say limp along with the Russian stuff for a while, and in the meantime design something really revolutionary, like a VASIMR engine.

Ok, I REALLY like this one! ;-)

[narby]

Use robots instead. And the vehicles can go much farther into space, than a manned ship. Plus it is much cheaper to fly un-manned ships. Less weight, less energy to explore. More efficient and safe to explore farther into space!

What's the fun in that?

Kind of like building robots for human procreation so we won't be bothered with all the problems associated with sex.

[Centurion2000]

We need to put a base on the Moon and Mars by 2010. It can be done.

[RightWhale]

Zubrin's reasoning goes something like this: the youth of impoverished regions such as Palestine will be aware of the huge accomplishments involved in putting men on Mars. They will look around their own neighborhood and make comparisons. 'Hmm, the Americans are on Mars, and we are still having trouble getting water out of our plumbing. We have a great system full of words and no accomplishments, America is doing all these astounding things. Maybe we should re-evaluate who is telling us the straight story.'

The youth of the Middle East would cease to listen to their dead-end militant leaders and join civilization. It's how the war on terrorists will ultimately be won. Mars could do it, be the winning card.

[Centurion2000]

When Zubrin hit on the idea of social implications, he gave the strongest rational support to his project. Man on Mars could be the beginning of the end of social upheaval in the Middle East.

Can you elaborate on that? How would Mars correct the Middle East issue ?

[Camel Joe]

No lets send her to the moon and tell her its Mars, that way she will be less likely to find her way back!!!

[My2Cents]

With all due respect, I think you're reading too much into the author's comment. While the case for going to Mars is interesting, if we want to convince the Arabs that Western techology far outpaces their own sad capabilities, there is enough evidence of this already without going to Mars. We went to the moon. Did that impress the Muslims?

[RightWhale]

How would Mars correct the Middle East issue ?

I tried to summarize Zubrin's argument in post 27 above. A pitiful attempt, no doubt.

[RightWhale]

We went to the moon. Did that impress the Muslims?

Yes, it did. Greatly. As to the Mars link to the war on terrorists: that isn't in the article, it was in a live interview.

[stck]

Why was the space program of the Apollo era so much more productive than that of today?

Maybe it had to do with the 100 or so German rocket engineers captured in Peenemunde that got America into space and to the moon?

[RightWhale]

the 100 or so German rocket engineers

That, plus Apollo had get-it-done priority.

[Grando Calrissian]

The youth of the Middle East would cease to listen to their dead-end militant leaders and join civilization. It's how the war on terrorists will ultimately be won. Mars could do it, be the winning card.

Unfortunately, the militant leaders would just tell the youth that the fuel to launch the Americans to Mars is made from the blood of Arabs.

[swarthyguy]

Fat chance! The sheeples are oblivious to space travel of any kind.

[FreeTheHostages]

[DAnconia55]

Sign me up.

[Sam Cree]

Ping

[Brett66]

NASA's problems run a lot deeper than a lack of bold vision. There's no reason to believe if we allocated a few billion a year for a manned Mars mission that NASA wouldn't turn it into another 100 billion dollar plus boondoggle before we even get the first ship built in orbit.