Nearly Three Dozen New Planet Discovered

[sneakeypete 16]

On the other hand, in 50 years we could finally understand it all and go "oh bugger, no way to make it faster, what a shame". But then again i'm a pessimist.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: sneakeypete

We can make new things, we can't exactly change the laws of physics. Getting back from mars, while not impossible, will still be relativly hard compared to getting there.

well, unless we can use wormholes or something cool.quote>

Unfortunately, you're a tad off the mark on that.  It won't be any harder to get home than it is to get there.  Read this idea for a manned Mars Expidition from Robert Zurbin.

[sneakeypete 16]

Um, that kind of proves that its harder. To get to mars you need fuel to make the trip. to get back you need to send the fuel to mars in the first place..

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Mars, shmars! Let's kill that project and get on with new drive technologies. Wormholes won't be short enough to go to inner planets, even if they exist.

We really need to understand gravity.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: N_O_Body

Mars, shmars! Let's kill that project and get on with new drive technologies. Wormholes won't be short enough to go to inner planets, even if they exist.

We really need to understand gravity.quote>

We do

gravity makes things fall

[blade2k5 1,523]

Um, that kind of proves that its harder. To get to mars you need fuel to make the trip. to get back you need to send the fuel to mars in the first place..quote>

Um, try reading that a little more closely this time. We're not sending fuel there, we're sending the components and equipment to make the fuel [and oxygen so thay can breathe] so that when it's time to leave, there is enough fuel to get them started on their way home. You don't need fuel for the entire trip there and back...only enough to reach the speed needed to make the trip...once you gain that speed, you stay at that speed as there is no friction in the vacuum of space. Simple science really.

We really need to understand gravity.quote>

You don't understand gravity? Wow, that's a new one.

[duack 14]

While a trip to Mars may be feasable within the next hundred years, I am extremely doubtful any planets other than Mars will ever be landed on. I base that on the fact that in 1990, it was thought Mars would be landed on by 2005 and also because I don't see much funding increases for space programs in the short term for space programs neither within the US or outside of it.

However, this does not mean we shouldn't continue to learn more about the universe. But I think that today, landing on things is pretty pointless, as it doesn't really give much information and it costs too much. reaserching the universe on the other hand is relatively cheap, and could tell us more information than landing on planets ever will.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: duack

While a trip to Mars may be feasible within the next hundred years, I am extremely doubtful any planets other than Mars will ever be landed on. I base that on the fact that in 1990, it was thought Mars would be landed on by 2005 and also because I don't see much funding increases for space programs in the short term for space programs neither within the US or outside of it.

However, this does not mean we shouldn't continue to learn more about the universe. But I think that today, landing on things is pretty pointless, as it doesn't really give much information and it costs too much. researching the universe on the other hand is relatively cheap, and could tell us more information than landing on planets ever will.quote>

Theres a Lot  in favor  for research in which a manned landing on Mars would be good.

Places that the rovers cant get to because of thier limitations,tests they could run on something other then small surface samples. a manned mission  would  be able to dig further down  to discover things, have a bigger lab ect.

theirs only so much pictures and spectrographic analysis can tell you.