Curiosity on Mars

[Mrja84]

I'm surprised no one posted this. What are people's thoughts on this?

There's been a lot of articles I've read about planning 6 month manned trips to Mars. Having machines send some of the food and materials they need ahead of time in order to keep weight down on the main human vessel.

Some of the pictures are gorgeous. I'm always interested in what they find out there.

[DigiFluid]

The first photo from Mars:

Spoiler:

[Snowman37]

It's just a big, lifeless rock. What do we expect to gain? I'd rather see NASA's funding put towards the nation's ever increasing debt.

[Ukko]

It's just a big, lifeless rock. What do we expect to gain? I'd rather see NASA's funding put towards the nation's ever increasing debt.

This.

Spoiler:

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

It's just a big, lifeless rock. What do we expect to gain? I'd rather see NASA's funding put towards the nation's ever increasing debt.

Maybe evidence of life there now or in the past. To study the planet to find out if it is suitable for colonisation. Evidence of water to support the possible colonisation plans.

Maybe to gain more knowledge about our place in the solar system. Our environment doesn't end at the edge of our atmosphere, it expands all the way to the very edges of the solar system. Science is our way of learning about what is out there, what we are capable of as a species, who we are now and who we could become in the future.

Or the money can be wasted lining the pockets of bankers and politicians.. Up to you.

[Goose]

It's just a big, lifeless rock. What do we expect to gain? I'd rather see NASA's funding put towards the nation's ever increasing debt.

Budget of NASA: $18.7 billion.
US National Debt: $15.9 trillion.

[SoulReaver]

It's just a big, lifeless rock. What do we expect to gain?

pics of new germs

[lordofseas]

Maybe evidence of life there now or in the past. To study the planet to find out if it is suitable for colonisation. Evidence of water to support the possible colonisation plans.

Maybe to gain more knowledge about our place in the solar system. Our environment doesn't end at the edge of our atmosphere, it expands all the way to the very edges of the solar system. Science is our way of learning about what is out there, what we are capable of as a species, who we are now and who we could become in the future.

Or the money can be wasted lining the pockets of bankers and politicians.. Up to you.

Recall. Science is expendable.

[majorsal]

Maybe evidence of life there now or in the past. To study the planet to find out if it is suitable for colonisation. Evidence of water to support the possible colonisation plans.

Maybe to gain more knowledge about our place in the solar system. Our environment doesn't end at the edge of our atmosphere, it expands all the way to the very edges of the solar system. Science is our way of learning about what is out there, what we are capable of as a species, who we are now and who we could become in the future.

Or the money can be wasted lining the pockets of bankers and politicians.. Up to you.

~reposted for awesomeness~

[SoulReaver]

~reposted for awesomeness~

~quoted for reposting~

[Thunderstorm]

Two cool videos
200+ pictures taken by the rover on it's descent combined into a stop motion video


Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured imagery of the rover as it deployed its parachute.

It's just a big, lifeless rock. What do we expect to gain? I'd rather see NASA's funding put towards the nation's ever increasing debt.

If I thought it would actually go toward the debt, I'd agree but I doubt that would happen. In Missouri, the reason they allowed casinos was the taxes, fees would all go toward education funding. While this is what happened, the state then regularly reduced the amount of the budget for education. resulting in little to no increase in actual education funding but alot more money the state could use for other things.