Constellation Program Axed

[shaunbhoy]

you need something to inspire.

Perhaps most Americans would be more inspired by subsidised health care than by grainy pictures of Buzz Aldrin III collecting samples of Mars rock?

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Link

Can't help but feel a little sad about this. As someone who grew up at the time of the original moon landings I've always been fascinated by space exploration & was quite excited about man going back to the moon and later on to Mars. Doubt I'll be seeing any of that happen in my lifetime now; thought perhaps the private sector or the Chinese will rise to the challenge.

Me too. I watched them all on TV and looked forward to the planets and maybe even beyond in my lifetime. Now I don't think I will live to see it.

This will put it so far back that I am not even sure that the USA will ever do it now. By the time they get to looking at the idea of manned spaceflight again, they may not be the world's biggest economy.

The US-USSR rivalry prompted the Space Race, and there is anothe one coming up, but it will be between India and China. India will do manned spaceflight in this decade. China certainly won't stand still in a field with so much military importance.

[Mich the Tester]

That's bollocks - this program cost maybe 2% of the bank bailout and far less than banks will pay in bonuses this year alone.

Obama is making a mistake - Kennedy would have never done this: you need something to inspire.

Agreed. This is one of the few things I think governments SHOULD spend money on; humankind taking the next big step.

[Andy2]

I think american space programme should be funded by united nations. The whole of humanity will benefit from space exploration.
We should send oxygen producing bacteria to mars to make it habitable.

[EternalOptimist]

We should send oxygen producing bacteria to mars to make it habitable.

Sounds great in theory, but what happens if they produce too much and Mars catches fire, or something.

Remember, you can have too much of a good thing

[Churchill]

Sounds great in theory, but what happens if they produce too much and Mars catches fire, or something.

Remember, you can have too much of a good thing

WGAS? It's far enough away not to matter...

(Just like Australia... )

[OwlHoot]

Obama is making a mistake - Kennedy would have never done this: you need something to inspire.

What do you expect? Sounds like the guy is practically a Marxist, with all his health care nonsense.

All he had to do was legislate to limit medical liabilities and get greedy lawyers off the doctors' backs.

(or wait a few years until robot medics and nurses become practical)

[Doggy Styles]

We should send oxygen producing bacteria to mars to make it habitable.

What would they produce it from? The atmosphere is only 1% as dense as earth's, no better than a vacuum to most animal life.

We need to take oxygen pills, like Steve Zodiac.

[Churchill]

What would they produce it from? The atmosphere is only 1% as dense as earth's, no better than a vacuum to most animal life.

We need to take oxygen pills, like Steve Zodiac.

Sulfates found in the soil...

[EternalOptimist]

What would they produce it from? The atmosphere is only 1% as dense as earth's, no better than a vacuum to most animal life.

In my opinion, it has to be done in this strict order

main base
eco-hab level 1
research level 1
research lasers
Laser defence tower level 1
Agro-comp level 1
Workshop
small factory
Research terraforming
Terra form level 1
research Atmospheric control
Barracks level 1
eco-hab level 2