ESA and Russia for manned Mars mission

I think the Russians are fairly committed but the ESA has a terrible reputation for dropping projects. Would have been far more exciting if the Russians had teamed up with China. The ESA can't even put a man in orbit let alone put one on Mars.

Russia is more advanced than America, I'm sure if they are planning a manned Mars mission, then they have the wherewithal to do it. Go Russia! Can't wait to see how this goes.

Russia is more advanced than America, I'm sure if they are planning a manned Mars mission, then they have the wherewithal to do it. Go Russia! Can't wait to see how this goes. Shouldn't you already know? Since your mind created reality.

The irony of the U.S. sitting out the first manned mission to Mars will probably be lost on the Luddites in congress, but the humiliation of it won't be lost on the rest of the world. Thanks, Wall St. and Tea Partiers!

The irony of the U.S. sitting out the first manned mission to Mars will probably be lost on the Luddites in congress, but the humiliation of it won't be lost on the rest of the world. Thanks, Wall St. and Tea Partiers!

The irony of the U.S. sitting out the first manned mission to Mars will probably be lost on the Luddites in congress, but the humiliation of it won't be lost on the rest of the world. Thanks, Wall St. and Tea Partiers! There again the US by reducing its spending has opened up a massive amount of commercial ventures and some look very promising. Surely more people working on space vehicles and propulsion in competition with each other could be the key to making quicker progress.

The Key is getting off this planet in the first place. This is no easy task,much less flying to Mars and back ! I`ll Keep my money on the U.S. Afterall we did go to the Moon and back ! Mars is the next logicial step for all of mankind !

The Key is getting off this planet in the first place. This is no easy task,much less flying to Mars and back ! I`ll Keep my money on the U.S. Afterall we did go to the Moon and back ! Mars is the next logicial step for all of mankind ! Had someone told me 39 years ago there would be no manned space flight other than Earth orbital for 50 years, I'd have said they were nuts, but it seems likely to pan out that way.

I admit I don't know much about it, but I have often wondered if a Geostationary Space Station near the equator would cut the cost of getting to low earth orbit. As I understand it the speed to reach and maintain are far less than the ISS. 7'000 mph verses 17'000 plus. Or do we still need the 25'000 mph to escape the gravity well? You can see where I'm going with this.

Related and recent http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMKGSUTTRG_index_0.html