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| Author | Topic: Privatized space exploration is better |
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Yul Tolbert (Moderator) |
posted 8/20/04 3:45 PM
My total support for a privatized human Mars flight has been further strengthen by recent reports that Congress may cut NASA's budget for the next fiscal year. In fact, I'm working on a comic strip about that very theme ( http://timeliketoons.tripod.com/cheapmarsflight.html ). But more to the point, the problem as I see it is the simple fact that Congress (a political organization) controls the funding for NASA (a scientific organization). NASA cannot initiate new projects without government funding or approval. And since Congress tends to view NASA as a politcal tool instead of a scientific tool, then NASA missions that tend to help the various politcal agendas involved tend to be funded and approved. Contrast that with a private space program. A private space program won't need government funding or approval (though they obviously will be subjected to government regulation which -- hopefully -- will be minimal). A privately-funded human Mars flight may be the only way humans will set foot on Mars. As things stand now (as far as I know), it'll probably be a cold day in the solar corona before Congress funds a human flight to Mars. Anyway, I'm not bashing NASA. In fact, I say NASA is a victim of narrow-minded government thinking. But even so, a private Mars flight MUST be employed whether or not NASA will be able to do it. As for whether a private Mars mission can be affordable, there are those who say that it can be done for as little as $5 billion. Of course that's a lot of money, but at least it's way cheaper that the estimated cost of NASA Mars mission proposals. |
| Ghassan Karwchan |
posted 8/20/04 4:26 PM
Can you imagine a trip to Mars sponsered by Nike, Wel-Mart, McDonalds... the astronomers should wear Nike clothes and eat big Mac |
| julian w thompson |
posted 8/21/04 12:20 AM
All Space exploration should be allowed to be privatized. I would invest in a company going to either the moon or preferably the asteroids for mining. I'm not sure what the real value is in going to mars. It has a larger gravity well than the moon. I think we need colonies and mining in the asteroids. julian |
| Yul Tolbert |
posted 8/23/04 3:11 PM
You might like to know that the Mars ship in my "Get Your Ass to Mars" series has corporate logos from over a dozen companies slapped onto it. Among them include, GM, IBM and TRW plus a few made-up companies as well. And when I first came up with the idea for GYATM back in 1992, I considered the possibility that one or more of the companies sponsoring this mission might not be around in 2005 (launch date for the Mars flight). Looks like all those companies are likely to be around a year from now. |
| julian w thompson |
posted 8/23/04 9:06 PM
Get your ass to mars??? Julian |
| julian w thompson |
posted 8/23/04 9:06 PM
Get your ass to mars??? Julian |
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