James Lowe - 15/11/2005 8:41 AMI think Titan looks favorite after Mars, but we are talking a long, long time away.
SRBseparama - 15/11/2005 6:40 PMUnfortunatly this is true. It's all on paper and will remain there until there's a plan which can be supported by both sides of the political spectrum. Given the current climate and the real possibility that there's going to be a big swing in the political makeup of the country soon, I'm not very confident right now.
Spacely - 15/11/2005 7:38 PMNow see I think it'll go Moon, Moon Base, Mars, Mars Base, seeing as how NASA wants to build an expansive space infrastructure that can't be simply torn down (ala the cancellation of the Saturn V) at the stroke of a Congresstional vote.
HailColumbia - 16/11/2005 5:49 PMDid China sign that treaty way back when that said you cant claim territory in space?
tom nackid - 17/11/2005 3:32 PMWell, there is nothing really to stop anybody from claiming they own the moon or Mars or any other piece of land. I believe there are some equatorial countries right now that lie beneath the moon's orbital path who claim ownership. Argentina claims ownership over a large chunk of Antarctica. No other countries acknowledge these claims and for now the countries making the claims don't seem willing to use military force to back them up. Ultimately that is the real question. If China were to claim ownership of the moon or mars (whether they actually set foot on it or not is meaningless) would they be willing to shoot down anyone else's expeditions? I doubt it. The only "rights" any nation has to land is whatever it is willing and capable of fighting or negotiating for.
HailColumbia - 18/11/2005 12:53 AMof course you could probably kill your hypothetical lunar microwave weapon with another one based on earth. Plus it would be really easy to nuke em right off the moon. Defending the moon requires you to have a really good idea of exactly where the threat is. How big of a radar could you really bring? they could never hope to see a few MIRV-Sized warheads, escpecally if you coverd them in stealth bomber material. I think the moon would be really hard to defend.
kraisee - 18/11/2005 1:21 AMBut how can you prove China had anything to do with the loss of your last three spacecraft sent to the moon?
kraisee - 18/11/2005 1:21 AMAnd about the nukes - if they've claimed the moon as sovereign Chinese territory, I really wouldn't contemplate nuking any land they consider as their motherland. Ross.