Mars...mankind is coming!!!

[Dayton3]

People are way too pessimistic.

Regarding the U.S. economy, the current problems will probably last a year maybe two at the most.

All we have to do to get to Mars is elect a president who makes it a priority.

Once we do, then the first manned Mars mission takes flight in 8-10 years after that.

 

[darkshadow0001]

That was just reelection political BS to make him look presidential. He never had any intentions of carrying it out.

The current Ares V booster rocket being built was deliberately designed with the needs of a manned Mars mission in mind.

That's true, but for Bush all he wanted was to be reelected. You notice how since then there is less and less money available and the time frame for the Mars mission has been moved further into the future?

Isn't that just how republicans operate, though?

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

The current timetable put's it closer to 2040

Anything near 2040 = NEVER

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/NASA_aims_to_put_man_on_Mars_by_2037_999.html
NASA aims to put a man on Mars by 2037

I know Bush attempted to make some JFK style speech but it was a lame speech. Today with Iraq costs and the sub-prime crisis people are more focused on the stuttering economy and there is zero political will for NASA today. However you can be sure if China started putting up its own spacestations and made some Apollo-8 style orbit of Mars it would change the game because a Mars ruled by Chinese without even a contest would be intolerable for America. If China gets near it, NASA would find itself awake all of a sudden and getting its butt to the red planet like Schwarzenegger demands in that movie.