From the CBC News: LONDON - European scientists set out their plans Tuesday for manned missions to Mars within three decades. The plans are more detailed than U.S. President George W. Bush's broad goals to send people back to the moon by 2020 and to Mars by 2030. "We think it is technically feasible to have a manned mission to the moon between 2020 and 2025 and then to Mars between 2030 and 2035," said Franco Ongaro, project manager of the European Space Agency's Aurora space exploration program. "We need to go back to the moon before we can go to Mars," he told space scientists, academics and industrialists in London. More here That's all well and good, but I don't see why NASA and the ESA can't work togeather to reach a common goal of putting a human on Mars. It would be cheaper for each agency and could be accomplished much quicker. If we are to move into space, I think we should do it in a united effort, not as an individual nation.
Perhaps, but in corporate life, we see that the competition between Intel and AMD made developments go faster. Maybe this is exactly what a project like that needs, competition. The race between the USA and Russia probably speeded things up as well, in comparison with if only one team was interested in putting a man on the moon.
Very true and in fact it did speed it up considerably. However, the same competition that helped the US get to the moon before Russia isn't there with the EU. I still think that we should go to Mars representing the planet, not just individual nations.
I don't think it would be quicker or cheaper, just look at the overspend and missed deadlines on eurofighter.
Thing you've gotta remember though Dad, is that america is not doing this for the betterment of man, old bushie over there is doing it because it makes him look better, and in general improves the morale of america's citizens. I don't mean to strike a blow at anyone here, so don't shoot me down, but the general consensus of people in america are generaly dumb, same can be said for most people globaly. People tend to believe what they see, and expect to see it, and thus they are made to be happier when they "work together" to make something like a mission to mars possable. Yeah, I agree that they would get there faster, and it would be cheaper if the two countries worked together, but theres no way that they will. It's life, it's not right, but get used to it. "Sad is the day that important decisions are baised solely upon how a public will react; that day is today"
I agree with DAD on the going as a planet rather than a single nation. The advcances are going to benefit the world as a whole in the long run, just like the space race between the usa and ussr did in years passed. If it wasn't for the space race we would be modding our slide rulers and adding machines
I'm glad that we're all going to get to the moon and to Mars, but it would be nicer to see a global effort instead of an individual one - but as many have said, it's thanks to this rivalry between the teams that there will be great leaps and bounds in competion-fueled invention and ingenuity to get there.
