All the resources the economy needs can be found in much more easily accessible form here on Earth.
Quote from: DLR on 02/26/2012 11:09 amAll the resources the economy needs can be found in much more easily accessible form here on Earth. You do realize how myopic this statement is, on so many levels ?
The human condition is about more than just life and death.It's more about the stuff in between, the actual experiences of living.Some of us have a crazy dream of putting footprints in that red soil. Some even have a dream of living there and watching the blue sunset every 24 and a bit hours. ...Space isn't just about resources, it's about the new frontier.Will it be profitable? Maybe not for 100s of years but will the human race be better off being multi-planetary? In my opinion YES!
Unless you have some kind of plan to raise Atlantis land will run out and I'm not sure people are keen to live in the polar regions or the oceans.
NASA is not here merely for one thing. And its only the most relatively recent Mars missions that have suceeded. Do some research and you'll see that many fail - which gave rise to the legend of 'The Great Galactic Ghoul'. Also. compared to mining Asteroids; sending probes and rovers to Mars is easy. Look at how expensive and dangerous mining on Earth is then think how very much more it would be on an Asteroid with very little gravity in a hostile, radiation-filled and vacuum environment. Also, many Asteroids are dynamically unstable: too many spin or tumble unevenly through the skies.Even a suitable, rich nickel-iron asteroid tumbling violently would make it nearly impossible to 'land' on, let alone mine.No; many Asteroids are for looking at only - some could be 'landed' on or explored if they're stable enough. But those that could be actually mined would likely be in the minority.
In many respects it would be much cheaper/easier/safer to inhabit the poles, seas, seabed, and deserts of the the world than it would be to live off Earth.
Quote from: savuporo on 02/26/2012 03:15 pmQuote from: DLR on 02/26/2012 11:09 amAll the resources the economy needs can be found in much more easily accessible form here on Earth. You do realize how myopic this statement is, on so many levels ? But also correct. Asteroid mining for terrestrial use makes know sense.
...So. My answer to the original question, "Why Mars?",well, "I am wondering it too."
Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, Titan and my personal favorites: the Uranian and Neptunian systems.
"It's like starting a voyage in 1492 with a row boat. Not really beneficial. We just have to invent/mature our propulsion methods a lot and life support technologies "