So Long space shuttles

[Arnhelm]

You may say that I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us,
And the world will be as One.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

You may say that I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us,
And the world will be as One.

Those brilliant words of John Lennon might very well hold the key to get to Mars. It may very well take ALL of the greatest minds on earth to achieve our next intergalactic human triumph. Hope I live to see us progress to our next frontier.

[English_Warrior]

I always think of this song when thinking about space

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhSYbRiYwTY

[LordMond63]

Those brilliant words of John Lennon might very well hold the key to get to Mars. It may very well take ALL of the greatest minds on earth to achieve our next intergalactic human triumph. Hope I live to see us progress to our next frontier.

You might well be- in fact, you probably are going to be- proved right on this one, Leslie.

The cost of a mission to Mars will be in the trillions of dollars when you take into account research, building, testing, etc. I don't think that any one country is going to be capable of shouldering that economic burden alone, so it might come to pass that an international consortium will be required to make it happen. Think of it along the lines of the effort to build and launch the ISS but multiplied, in terms of complexity and cost, by a factor of 100 or so.

It would be difficult to identify two countries who so distrusted each other as the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1970s, yet together the two countries agreed to launch and successful completed Apollo-Soyuz. The ISS is the greatest example of international co-operation yet seen in space. There could be many benefits to enlisting the Chinese (and perhaps the Indians as well) as a participant in an effort to Mars besides sharing the costs and the risks. It might- might- mark a turning point for global realtionships among mankind- another "giant step" if you will.

[Falco_Easts]

Am I the only one who wishes NASA had a sense of humour? They should have ridden up to the shuttle on horses in costumes straight from Planet of the Apes.

That aside, while I can see the sense in diverting funds to more needed projects on this planet who is to say what secrets remain out there that could greatly help life on earth.

[LordMond63]