US government to NASA: Get humans to Mars by 2033

[VitalyT]

Divert a decent portion of those defence funds to NASA and they'll deliver the unimaginable.

A martian in everyone's home by 2020? My imagination can go miles, especially after a strong coffee

 

[captaincranky]

A martian in everyone's home by 2020? My imagination can go miles, especially after a strong coffee

I wouldn't go that far, but perhaps Amazon will start selling "Martian Potatoes" for either Sr. Patrick's Day or Easter Celebration's.

Please be advised, these candies contain no potatoes, and they originated in Philadelphia. Consequently, no living potatoes were harmed in their making.

Since no potato farms are likely to exist on Mars, and in the same vein the Apollo moon landings were a hoax, all Amazon would need to do is exchange "Irish", for, "Martian" on the box lid.

 

[VitalyT]

Amazon will start selling "Martian Potatoes"

Grown on Matt Damon's special fertilizer, personally supplied and approved?

- is all you really need in your life, including...

 

[Nero7]

Call of Duty Infinite Warfare predicted this.

 

[Makson]

I have always been for advancement, however, over the last couple years I have been changing opinions on what is considered "advancement". Now, having said that, let me state that I believe trying to get people to Mars is a waste of time for humanity AT THE MOMENT. Nothing will be gained besides more questions (as with all things). I am not AGAINST going, lets just worry about things that can make a REAL world difference here and now. Unless you can guarantee 1) the cure for cancer will be found on the surface of mars or 2) unlimited energy source will be discovered on mars or 3) world hunger will be eradicated then I can say AS OF RIGHT NOW going to Mars is all for show. 19 billion is both large and small at the same time, but it is HUGE when making a difference here at home rather then going of to a place with an almost ZERO ROI. As the old saying goes... "Get your head out of the clouds and back down to reality". Go, but go when it could be a better time.

I have always been for advancement, however, over the last couple years I have been changing opinions on what is considered "advancement". Now, having said that, let me state that I believe trying to get people to Mars is a waste of time for humanity AT THE MOMENT. Nothing will be gained besides more questions (as with all things). I am not AGAINST going, lets just worry about things that can make a REAL world difference here and now. Unless you can guarantee 1) the cure for cancer will be found on the surface of mars or 2) unlimited energy source will be discovered on mars or 3) world hunger will be eradicated then I can say AS OF RIGHT NOW going to Mars is all for show. 19 billion is both large and small at the same time, but it is HUGE when making a difference here at home rather then going of to a place with an almost ZERO ROI. As the old saying goes... "Get your head out of the clouds and back down to reality". Go, but go when it could be a better time.

Pleasing to hear a sensible comment similar to what I said recently.
There may come a time when common sense reigns supreme, but it won't happen, and taking mankind's unsolved problems to Mars in a few years won't change anything there either.

 

[ghostf1re]

2033??? ... 16 years away?
When JFK made his famous "We choose to go to the Moon" speech in September 62, he was giving NASA only 7 years and 3 months to make it happen with the primitive technology of that era. That they made it in such a short time is so incredible that it's main reason some people think it was totally faked, or partly faked.

With today's technology, it shouldn't take more than 8 years to achieve a feat much more difficult. They obviously aren't in a hurry since there's no cold war anymore to prove that Capitalism is the best.

The apollo missions took about 3 days to get to the moon. Currently it takes our ships anywhere between 150-300 days to get there. It's not that easy....

A trip to Mars is so much more difficult by comparison. Radiation from the sun is one of those huge difficulties. Then even if they can be completely or even partially shielded during the trip, they would need to be shielded after landing on Mars. Going there isn't the hard part, surviving the trip is the hard part.

Also, going there, at least initially, may be a one way mission. If they want to return, they would need to bring a ship that could not only land on the planet, but take off also. They would have to bring it with them, or launch it there early and hope it can survive the landing and be in good enough condition to take off. Also, the distance between Earth and Mars would be a factor in this too. The trip there and the trip back wouldn't bee the same distance or the same trajectory, assuming they didn't stay there for just a short time.

So yeah, not easy.

 

[Joe Blow]

They couldn't even get to the Moon in the 70's. 2033? Forget about it. Don't fall for studio film jobs. This will once again be another huge money laundering operation, while B.S'ing the public. That's what NASA is good at.