Settle Mars by 2023?

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by Russo

because it won't be privately funded... like inner city cell phone providers (Boost Mobile), they get subsidized by the Federal government while the others have to operate the traditional American way (capitalism)

Meh. I'd much prefer that our government spend some money helping these private space companies get up and running than other things its wasting money on. At least space travel and research provides us with better technology that will help solve problems here on Earth.

[Overflow]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Well what I'm saying is they won't be afraid to use humans as guinea pigs. They'll learn from the mistakes they make, but their "acceptable" level of mistakes is a lot different than ours.

Russia's far from innocent as well.

[Brokinarrow]

Dunno if this link will work, tis a newsletter from Mars One:

http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=...b&e=1abd932695

Looks like they're getting a fair amount of sponsors built up... and you can now invest money in the "for profit" side of Mars One (minimum of 1000 euros)

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Overflow

Russia's far from innocent as well.

This.

The Soviet government was perfectly capable of covering up failed attempts into space.

Hell, the first animal in space, Laika, wasn't euthanized like the Soviets said. She died only a few hours into flight from stress and heat exhaustion.

[fielderLS3]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

China can't build anything worth a damn anyways. I'm sure their initial advancements into space will be just as bad as the first couple Soviet attempts.

This. China won't be the first to go to Mars, because the only technology they seem to build is that which is stolen from someone else.

[Brokinarrow]

So the question is, if the private sector get's the capability to make it to Mars first, what will the government do? Best case scenario I can think of is NASA sends a few astronauts along for the ride, or even helps them out with the effort. Worst case is a ton of red tape getting thrown onto any private sector space effort that leaves GEO.

[Overflow]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

This.

The Soviet government was perfectly capable of covering up failed attempts into space.

Hell, the first animal in space, Laika, wasn't euthanized like the Soviets said. She died only a few hours into flight from stress and heat exhaustion.

Exactly. In all honesty, we're the safest country when it comes to space travel. And I'm talking space travel, not launching something every now and then.

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

This. China won't be the first to go to Mars, because the only technology they seem to build is that which is stolen from someone else.

This is also true. China's far behind the "big two" because they're always just starting to develop something we're retiring. It wouldn't surprise me if they made their version of a Space Shuttle eventually. After all, Russia did it.

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

So the question is, if the private sector get's the capability to make it to Mars first, what will the government do? Best case scenario I can think of is NASA sends a few astronauts along for the ride, or even helps them out with the effort. Worst case is a ton of red tape getting thrown onto any private sector space effort that leaves GEO.

That'll probably be what will happen. NASA will pretty much take them over and regulate everything they do. But like I said, I don't see a private sector making it to Mars first. And I know NASA won't be there in 2023 with SLS because SLS-1 isn't until December 2017, and that's just an unmanned mission around the moon. The first manned mission around the moon, SLS-2, is scheduled for 2021. Mars in two years? No way. Chances are, the program will be delayed anyway.