19 replies to this topic

[Saru]

Future missions to Mars seem unlikely due to large budget cuts to NASA's planetary budget.

MSNBC said:

NASA will skip the 2016 launch opportunity and if officials are lucky, they hope still to salvage something relatively cheap for 2018, when Mars passes closest to Earth. But it won't be the large rock-collecting mission that scientists had been counting on.

Read more...

[Holter]

This is one small step for the american economy, one giant leap backwards for mankind!

[chainsawcam]

surely it's not THAT expensive to send the wee toy to the Arizona desert!!!

[shaddow134]

maybe we should spend less on killing each other and maybe we might just get off this rock one day before we become extinct.

[CRIPTIC CHAMELEON]

The writing was on the wall 4 these missions 21-Dec-2012

[highdesert50]

Given the lack of funding and escalating costs, these endeavors need to be addressed at a multinational level much like the space station. This cancellation however, is more a condemnation of us as a successful species. Some unknown will eventually wipe out earth's human population.

Edited by highdesert50, 29 February 2012 - 01:01 AM.

[dharma warrior]

I can remember a time when America led the world in science, technology and industry.
Now we make the best movies and video games.
woo hoo!

[pestilent0ne]

chainsawcam, on 28 February 2012 - 01:59 PM, said:

surely it's not THAT expensive to send the wee toy to the Arizona desert!!!

I think you are overlooking the cost of hush money, which im sure is much more than it used to be with the way people are now adays.

[epochrider]

bingo, it's getting harder and harder and more expensive to keep the world pulled over pour eyes!

[bouncer]

BUT....if the latest rover sends us proof of life, or observes any real structures..you can be sure there WILL be more missions

[lyoung1101]

Since Russia will be sending our astronauts to space from this point, I'm curious as to whether anyone on here has their track record when it comes to safety...? For example, NASA has a great track record when you compare missions/launches/etc. to catastrophes. Anybody know Russia's space sucess/failure ratio? I didn't pay much mind to it the last couple of decades since the United States has ran hundreds of successful missions for the most part. <I've only really been paying attention to that.

[DONTEATUS]

Its a dice shoot from here on out, Until America gets back on Top of Space exploration. That just takes commitment!
Lets get on it People  !

[Zarifa]

It strikes me as odd that there was just a big todo about signs of water and possible life being found on Mars,with questions about what may be underground, and now a sudden clamp-down on Mars missions. Would it be possible for these explorations to continue, taken out of the public eye by this reported cessation of the program? Not that I don't trust everything the media tells me.

[booNyzarC]

chainsawcam, on 28 February 2012 - 01:59 PM, said:

surely it's not THAT expensive to send the wee toy to the Arizona desert!!!

pestilent0ne, on 29 February 2012 - 02:16 AM, said:

I think you are overlooking the cost of hush money, which im sure is much more than it used to be with the way people are now adays.

You two are joking, right?  You don't honestly think that NASA missions are hoaxes do you?

[bmk1245]

lyoung1101, on 01 March 2012 - 04:07 AM, said:

Since Russia will be sending our astronauts to space from this point, I'm curious as to whether anyone on here has their track record when it comes to safety...? For example, NASA has a great track record when you compare missions/launches/etc. to catastrophes. Anybody know Russia's space sucess/failure ratio? I didn't pay much mind to it the last couple of decades since the United States has ran hundreds of successful missions for the most part. <I've only really been paying attention to that.

You can find list of launches here (select language, then Space Program, then Launches on the right side). List of launches in 2011/2012 are in russian only.

Edit:
Apparently Russkies somewhat shy about their failures.
Here is another source in Czech:
from Baikonur - total 1301, successful 1218, failures 83 (1957-2008);
from Plesetsk - total 1563, successful 1511, failures 52 (1966-2008);
from Kapustin Yar - total 101, successful 85, failures 16 (1961-2008).

Edited by bmk1245, 05 March 2012 - 07:03 PM.