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Well, from what I understand, NASA is currently developing Ion engines (and have at least 1 prototype working I THINK...) plus they're conjuring up plans to create an elevator to the moon. Using some type of light weight material that has 5x the durability of steel. (Very useful if its say, a thread and you can use en masse.) NASA and Drayden are working on alot of cool stuff right now. I wouldnt be surprised if we get to Mars quicker than anticipated.

On another note, I was watching an A&E program early in the morning and found something pretty cool. NASA took photos of the Mars planetary surface and these photos revealed a strange object. When "experts" fed the photo into the computer, they got a 3d read out. Looked huge plastic like material coming out the side of a mountain and into the other, with "ribs" and lights.

Does it not remind you of the plastic barrier thing used in E.T. for decontamination or oxygen pressurization?

Where to begin? Firstly ion engines are very efficient but have very low thrust levels (a few pounds max). The power plants must be HUGE and heavy.

It is impossible to create an elevator to the moon. Space elevators have been proposed to move cargo and passengers to GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT, at an altitude of 22,000 miles. The moon is about 250 thousand miles away.

Space elevators look like good bets, once the material properties are dealt with and all of the engineering 'gotcha's are dealt with.

Finally, nobody is going to mars. The U.S. has lost its guts. I'd guess the Japanese or Chinese will go to Mars, but you and I will be dead before it happens.

--Boris