Mars Anyone?

Nexterra, Explore Mars Now ^ | Dec 13, 2002 | Louis Mazza

[Young Werther]

As we look to the future, the clarion call of Mars ranks high in the halls of space advocacy. The recent Ad Astra the magazine of the National Space Society reports that NASA is once again looking at nuclear propulsion options.

[KevinDavis]

Cool

[Notforprophet]

Very cool site! Good post!

[Wonder Warthog]

"The recent Ad Astra the magazine of the National Space Society reports that NASA is once again looking at nuclear propulsion options."

Go nukes. When I was taking my minor in nuclear chemistry, one of the faculty was a nuclear engineer who had worked on the Nerva project. Shielding specialist--really knew his stuff.

[Centurion2000]

Let's light off some nukes and plant a colony on Mars .... this needs to be done. Humanity is getting pretty unstable.

[Young Werther]

The Nerv a him!

I visited the Cape in the summer of '68. We saw the Apollo 8 being stacked and were given a very thorough tour, (buncha AF Junior Officer!). I remember our tour guide showing us the building attached to the Vertical Assembly Building which was to house the Nerva upper stage before it was mated to the Saturn V.

The tour guide said the NERVA upper stage would be the foundation for a future Mars mission. Unfortunately, NERVA was cancelled and an opportunity was postponed. Hopefully we're ready to pick up the baton and continue the race!

[mewzilla]

Well, personally I think we should see if there are any natives, and if they're friendly and wouldn't mind a visit.

How about we make Algore our first ambasssador to Mars, then send him off on a little meet-and-greet?

[vannrox]

Massive COOL site BUMP!!!!

[GovernmentShrinker]

There was a discussion about Mars a couple of days ago on this thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/804101/posts

Ignore the original topic of the post -- Mars discussion began at post #5.

[martian_22]

Please send more Mars probes.
They're delicious....

[Wonder Warthog]

"Unfortunately, NERVA was cancelled and an opportunity was postponed. Hopefully we're ready to pick up the baton and continue the race!"

Yup--that's why he was on the faculty. He got disenchanted with NASA's "stick-to-it-iveness". Hopefully, when we re-start the program, some of the "now-old-farts" like him will come out of retirement to give the program a kick-start.

[relee]

Better check with Shelia Jackson Lee first.

[John Jamieson]

YES! We'll need a new Sat V class booster to make it work and we'll have to trash the space station white elephant. Both very past due.

[Brett66]

I see they're using VASIMR for propulsion, I hope by now noone is seriously entertaining the idea of chemical rockets as primary propulsion to get to Mars.

[Brett66]

Though it looks like Chang Diaz' propulsion system is getting hit by the budget axe.

[Rocky]

one of the faculty was a nuclear engineer

Was it Jimmy Carter? He was a nucyulur engineer. At least that's what he said.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Was it Jimmy Carter? He was a nucyulur engineer. At least that's what he said."

Nah--this guy hated Carter.

[Verginius Rufus]

Sheila Jackson Lee would be the perfect person to send to Mars. She already speaks the language.

[Young Werther]

You know, maybe she has revealed something that corroborates the Apollo hoax theories.

News Flash! The dink who Aldrin cold cocked was right.

We didn't go to the moon!

We actually went to Mars and now Shelia Jackson Lee has let the cat outta da bag!