Should we go to the moon again first before we go to Mars?

[CCbaxter]

Originally Posted by Old Town FFX

There are private citizens working on it.

Shooting cars and satellites into orbit is one thing. Manned space flight is several orders of difficulty greater. Most unmanned flight is commercial. There would be very little return on either Mars or Moon missions and any return there was, would be pretty far out.

[Old Town FFX]

Originally Posted by CCbaxter

Shooting cars and satellites into orbit is one thing. Manned space flight is several orders of difficulty greater. Most unmanned flight is commercial. There would be very little return on either Mars or Moon missions and any return there was, would be pretty far out.

Like I said, I don't expect to see it in my life time, but I am glad that there are folks both in the private sector, and under the N.A.S.A. label still plugging along. It's also one project that seems to bring people from the world over together working towards a common goal.

We went from the Wright Brothers first flight to landing on the moon in a generation. The people working on things now have a LOT more tech on hand, and a lot more resources. Only time will tell what they can do.

[CCbaxter]

Originally Posted by Old Town FFX

Like I said, I don't expect to see it in my life time, but I am glad that there are folks both in the private sector, and under the N.A.S.A. label still plugging along. It's also one project that seems to bring people from the world over together working towards a common goal.

We went from the Wright Brothers first flight to landing on the moon in a generation. The people working on things now have a LOT more tech on hand, and a lot more resources. Only time will tell what they can do.

I don’t disagree with that, but it takes a lot of pure will to make great leaps in tech like that when it needs to be a coordinated effort across several scientific fields. I don’t think we’re that country anymore.

[Old Town FFX]

Originally Posted by CCbaxter

I don’t disagree with that, but it takes a lot of pure will to make great leaps in tech like that when it needs to be a coordinated effort across several scientific fields. I don’t think we’re that country anymore.

Yeah, and that saddens me. I hope we can help, and know that we're part of the process, but things in the USA have gotten so politicized, it's hard to say where we'll be in the line-up.

[Steve McDonald]

First, invent a dependable electronic shielding system, to fully enclose a spacecraft and protect those inside from the severe brain damage that would be caused in space, by cosmic and solar rays. Then, start planning a mission to Mars that would have human passengers.

[jetgraphics]

Though I am an advocate of space exploration and colonization, Kennedy’s “Moon mission” was a political fiasco, aimed at propaganda points and little else.
When you throw away 99% of your vehicle on each trip, it’s not sustainable.
If engineers instead of politicians were in charge, there would have been no break neck “Race to the moon.” Haste makes waste.

Before considering a colony on the moon, or even Mars, we need to build the infrastructure.
In place of the Apollo "race to the moon" boondoggle, there should have been two orbiting space stations built : one for the Earth and one for the Moon. Once they were in place, 3 specialized space craft classes would be needed :

(1) Surface to orbit - and return;
(2) station - to - station - and return;
(3) lunar orbit to surface - and return.

Only fuel and supplies would be consumed.
Instead of a few spectacularly expensive and short visits to the moon, we could have been able to do long term work.
...
For Mars, we should also build an autonomous orbital station at Mars, and a Mars Cycler colony / vivarium to simplify travel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_cycler
...
The irony is that the "right way" was known long before NASA was pushed by political expediency.

From “Space Jockey” by Robert A. Heinlein (1947):

“... The traveling-public gripes at the lack of direct Earth-to-Moon service, but it takes three types of rocket ships and two space-station changes to make a fiddling quarter-million-mile jump for a good reason: Money.”
Earth’s space station : Supra-New York
Luna’s space station : Space Terminal
Earth to orbit and return : catapulted streamlined winged space craft
Station to station : never landing shuttles, almost all cargo space
Luna to orbit and return : ugly duckling pogo sticks

- - -
NASA’s “Moon shot” basically combined all five into one...
Earth to orbit (Saturn V boosters - discarded).
Orbit to orbit (Command / Service module, Lunar Excursion Module)
Orbit to Moon ( LEM) (Command / Service module remained in orbit)
Moon to Orbit (Ascent portion, Descent stage abandoned on surface)
Orbit to Orbit (Command / Service module) (Ascent stage abandoned)
Orbit to Earth (Command module abandoned / capsule landed)

[rbohm]

Originally Posted by Steve McDonald

First, invent a dependable electronic shielding system, to fully enclose a spacecraft and protect those inside from the severe brain damage that would be caused in space, by cosmic and solar rays. Then, start planning a mission to Mars that would have human passengers.

we sont need to develop an electronic shield, we can put about 1/2 the water supply we need to carry on the mission between the inner and outer skins of the space craft. water does a great job of shielding from cosmic radiation.