The US will 'plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond,' Trump tells Congress

[Admin]

Trump again called on the United States to send astronauts to Mars in his speech to a joint session of Congress.

The US will 'plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond,' Trump tells Congress : Read more

 

[DarkMatterMuncher]

All politics aside, this is an AMAZING goal and space exploration is something that ensures mankind.

 

[Grog Eisenbein]

They are going to «plant the flag far beyond Mars»? I hear some scientists say Jupiter does not have a solid surface, but I’m sure it’s all just fake news.

 

[Vladyslav Derevianko]

All politics aside, this is an AMAZING goal and space exploration is something that ensures mankind.

I disagree. Any expensive project, like human space travel beyond low earth orbit, cannot avoid politics. Because allocation of big money would strain the resources of the richest countries and even of all the humanity combined.
People should set priorities of big projects: whether fight Russia and Axis ov Evil, or protect environment, or prepare for asteroid defense, or explore space using robotics, or invest in human spaceflight.

 

[contrarian]

They are going to «plant the flag far beyond Mars»? I hear some scientists say Jupiter does not have a solid surface, but I’m sure it’s all just fake news.

There are plenty of moons to plant a flag on!

We already put up six of them on our own Moon.

The biggest issue is the cost. Where are they going to find all that money to build the spaceships?

 

[Ken Fabian]

<<Removed by moderator>>

I would put projects like these near the top for wastefulness.

 

[Rick Badman]

Trump again called on the United States to send astronauts to Mars in his speech to a joint session of Congress.

The US will 'plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond,' Trump tells Congress : Read more

We could reach Mars in less than three days if we used my repulsion-drive engine. We could also reach Mars if we used my two Ground/Ship Launch/Propulsion Systems. It might be less expensive to use GSLP since the ground energy source is the big expense. My spaceplane I showed to NASA facilities from 1991 to 1997 used my injection reactor and repulsion-drive engines.

 

[contrarian]

I would put projects like these near the top for wastefulness.

All space flights with humans on board are "near the top for wastefulness", except for the Apollo missions. They had to be done just to prove it was possible.

 

[m4n8tpr8b]

All politics aside, this is an AMAZING goal and space exploration is something that ensures mankind.

Planting the flag of one country has nothing to do with ensuring(?) mankind. It is either about national pride or colonisation.

 

[m4n8tpr8b]

Trump again called on the United States to send astronauts to Mars in his speech to a joint session of Congress.

The US will 'plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond,' Trump tells Congress : Read more

In my opinion, this is much ado about nothing, this is pure PR. Neither the financial, nor the technical, nor the life support system needs for such a mission are anywhere near to be met, and with the proposed cuts and the war on scientists (including climate scientists and those involved in habitat protection, whose expertise would be needed for large-scale colonisation), the conditions of meeting them in the near future are practically nil.