Curiosity - Mars landing

[annielaurie]

Money better spent on, for example, the Olympics. We plonked a similar thing on the Moon for no real benefit a few decades ago. If there is a man on Mars, I'm sure he'll find us. No need that we waste our resources landing a jalopy on a deserted Planet.

I think it's exactly the opposite. Both the moon and Mars are themselves abundant in off-earth resourses for humanity right here in the coming centuries.

Science is the single most important and vital process we have today, in that we can continue to learn and branch out as a species.

The moon and Mars are steppingstones to the solar system, and other solar systems come next. Eventually we will need to colonize other worlds for future generations, and this will take hundreds of years.

[AnimalMother]

Do you really believe that us earthly beings will ever inhabit another planet?

Maybe not us, but if we have any descendants in the long term, they surely will.Being confined to just one planet is a sure road to extinction.

Even with the vast improvements in technology, we've made slow progress over the decades - if anything tangible at all.

It took over a hundred million decades for life to move from the sea to land. Five decades is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

But we do need to make the move before our life on this planet becomes unsustainable. We don't know how much, or how little, time we have.

If we don't make it - others will. And life will keep growing and spreading throughout the universe.

[Neferti]

I watched the whole thing live on NASA TV on my computer, and it was exciting.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The team at JPL - Jet Propulsion Labs at Pasadena, California - were all jumping up and down and laughing and cheering for a long time, it was great.

Annie,

Check this site http://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/ This will show you just how deeply involved the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in Tinbinbilla is .... NASA and we here in Canberra are working together ...

[Aussie]

And we ought care because............................why, Neferti?

[annielaurie]

I watched the whole thing live on NASA TV on my computer, and it was exciting.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The team at JPL - Jet Propulsion Labs at Pasadena, California - were all jumping up and down and laughing and cheering for a long time, it was great.

Annie,

Check this site http://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/ This will show you just how deeply involved the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in Tinbinbilla is .... NASA and we here in Canberra are working together ...

Hey Neferti, I'm looking at it now, and it's great. I'm saving the link, thanks!

[Neferti]

The CSIRO is Australia's Scientific research organisation, etc. so have a look at that too ... there is a link on that other site.

[annielaurie]

The CSIRO is Australia's Scientific research organisation, etc. so have a look at that too ... there is a link on that other site.

Yes I see that. There's a video on it, and I'm watching that. I love it that our countries have been working on this together, and other projects all along.

[IQS.RLOW]

Money better spent on, for example, the Olympics. We plonked a similar thing on the Moon for no real benefit a few decades ago. If there is a man on Mars, I'm sure he'll find us. No need that we waste our resources landing a jalopy on a deserted Planet.

You don't think before you post, do you...

Robots and robotic software with wide-ranging uses that include auto-assembly plants, hazardous material handling, monitoring in dangerous environments, distribution and packaging facilities, etc.
Lightweight composite materials that benefit cars, airplanes, camping gear, etc.
Perfect protein crystals grown in zero gravity; used for more pure pharmaceutical drugs, foods and an assortment of other crystalline-based products including insulin for diabetes patients.
Better understanding of the Earth and its environmental response to natural and human-induced variations such as air quality, climate, land use, food production as well as monitoring quality of our oceans and fresh water.
Commercial space communication systems for personal phones, computers, video transmissions, global positioning satellite systems, etc.
Improvements in energy use efficiency.
More responsible use of air and water in private and commercial buildings.
Automated maintenance functions for buildings and new lower-cost building construction techniques.
Smoke detectors for homes and commercial buildings.
Air purification systems used to by hospitals to provide pure oxygen for patients.
The most accurate topographical map of the Earth. This data is used to develop safer navigation techniques and better communication systems.
Ultraviolet protection suits for people with rare intolerance to UV light, known xeroderma pigmentosum.
Heart pump based on technology of space shuttle's fuel pumps. It's two inches long, one inch in diameter, and weighs less than four ounces.
Efficient autos and planes benefiting from NASA wind tunnel and aerodynamic expertise.
New metal alloys based on research for the space station program.
Thermal protection blankets used in everything from fire fighters suits to survival gear for cold environments.

[Super Nova]

Money better spent on, for example, the Olympics. We plonked a similar thing on the Moon for no real benefit a few decades ago. If there is a man on Mars, I'm sure he'll find us. No need that we waste our resources landing a jalopy on a deserted Planet.

You don't think before you post, do you...

Good examples IQ.

The with "no real benefits" statement is laughable from Aussie. Typical cynic on everything. Are spirit of adventure to go where we have not been before has been a driving factor in our dominance of the planet over the last 100 years. We seek out new environment to populate and stretch our ability to adapt that drives innovation.

The are real benefits from these adventures and we need to continue them to improve our life here on Earth and provide a life reaft to avoid extinction.

The primary objective of life is procreate and hopefully to avoid extinction.

[annielaurie]

I couldn't agree more, Nova. Great post, IQ!