Earth becomes Mars in 40 years anyway- why try to go there now?
9
A complete waste of money! Don’t expect to relocate to Mars: no breathable air, no drinkable water, no UV protection. Star Wars fantasists...it’s all about robots; humans can’t do it!
4
So Mars is outside OUR easy-to-live zone, and knowledge for the sake of knowledge is a “waste of money”?
Why does knowledge have ro come down to potential for profit. I would suggest visiting the nearest large university library snd lioking up available information on something, anything you always wanted to know about.
If you find NOTHING if interest, I would not consider you human.
If you find, say, the history of the Civil War interesting, remember it cost a lot to gather that information too, from digging the battlefields, combing newspapers morgues, interviewing great grandsons/daughters if the fighters and leaders, accurate cartography, cultural studies, available technology studies, etc.
Other people have other interests. Studying a national upheaval long past, and studying the formation and interior of Mars are of equal value. Just to different people.
Abstract knowledge us as wasteful as accurate history.
7
“Mars is, like Earth, largely rock.”
I thought most of the planet was water.
Maybe that’s just the surface.
245 lbs- for ONE cubic foot??? somethin' be very wrong, here.
3
You are right man!
The reference to 245 pounds for a cubic foot is a simplification using the average density from the *entire planet*, including the core (possibly iron-rich like Earth’s). I agree that this was unclear in the article. That number works out to about 4 g/cc average density for Mars. Apparently Earth is 30% denser than that on average. But using a typical density of 2.5 g/cc for rocks from Earth’s crust, that works out to 155 pounds per cubic foot, which is still pretty heavy. A cubic foot is a big piece of rock!
6
I hate to be a pessimist.
But under our GOP-led Congress, NASA is on life support.
And given the fact that space exploration requires decades of commitment, planning and taxpayer-financed resources, and a president who doesn't support anything that does not profit him personally, it is hard to see NASA completing any of its current goals.
11
In the budget that Congress passed for this year and that President Trump signed (even if he complained about it), NASA does well — $20 billion — and all parts of NASA, including earth science, receive reasonably robust funding.
13
And how much more money than the DoD even asked for?
Let’s cut defense spending for development of a LOX-Liquid Hydrogen two-crew (launch vehicle and space vehicle) as the “space shuttle” was originally proposed, until that vile Sen. William Proxmire got his teeth into the budget, and demanded NASA do the job at half its pared-down budget. The man went to his grave with the blood of the Challenger crew on his hands.
He held a cursed Senate seat, somehow. He replaced Joe McCarthy, whose name became the name became an evil: McCarthyism. Ask any scientist what it means to proxmire a pared-to-the bone budget. You’ll get the sane answer: evil, outright evil.
5
Live NASA but $814 million for an immovable lander with a little seismometer? Seriously?
For under $350 SpaceX built the reusable Falcon 9, which is revolutionizing access to space.
For under $1B, SpaceX will build the BFR, which will be able to take big exploration parties to Mars.
2
You're forgetting that SpaceX gets public funds and NASA's help building on technology developed by NASA. Going to Mars is also quite a bit more trip than low Earth orbit.
6
There is telling evidence that Earth and Mars once formed a single planet outside of the orbit of Jupiter. Jupiter pulled this planet into the inner solar system, extracting Mars from the Pacific Basin. The southern hemisphere of Mars is the original surface of the Pacific Basin. Search "Outer Solar System Origin of the Terrestrial Planets".
2
I look forward to following this new exploration of the characteristics of Mars. May the launch go on time and be successful.
13
It would be nice to find life on mars but so far nada so missions like this trying to understand the geology of Mars seem more scientific in its goals. NASA and the politicians funding it seem to do poorly on big projects like the space station and shuttle. It's small ones like this they excel at. Drones and robots can do more when cost is considered as glamorous as manned missions seem.
Remember when the universe was 4.5 billion years old now it's 7.5 billion so who knows how many more billions of years it will age in the coming decades with the right funding? Instead of spending billions chasing science fiction dreams of visiting extraterrestrial civilizations or colonizing Mars take small steps.
2
Americans would like to ship Trump back to his planet
10
We should not be shipping toxic waste to Mars. Considering Mars is much smaller than Earth and potentially a place for humans to colonize, we should be keeping Mars relatively pristine and free of toxic waste. Better to send the toxic waste to Jupiter.
2
I believe it's earth that is 4.5 billion years old and the universe, 13.7 billion years old. Hard to keep track, isn't it?
We will be smothered and dead in our own garbage before we are capable of a building space craft designed to land on Mars with humans inside. Sad. Such potential we carry inside our heads. Maybe, just maybe we'll grow up and see the light in time.
4
Great to have such scientific accomplishment dazzle us. I love it. However parallel to this fascinating journey is the inertia of our global disaster. It’s a distraction. The climate with global warming and the state of our oceans is a disaster worsening every day. The poles melting and the diametrically opposes world politics is a doomsday course under way. It’s here. More plastic particles than plankton and in fish and we don’t know the science of what that will do to us yet. There never was a safe amount of mercury 50 years ago when the alarm bell rang and much worse now. The healthy choices we make in developed nations will diminish further. Maybe this is mans destiny.
Man ignores every problem as if “someone will get to it when it’s bad” or “that can’t happen” but it’s bad now and it is happening. The political climate, nationalism and underlying racism is unacceptable. As every astronaut has said “the view from space shows us how tiny we are and closely knit we are”. We don’t rule the universe. Cultural stars we are dazzled with and billionaires will evaporate too. We are mere humans.
Mammals consuming and excreting guided largely by self interest. So nows the time to act in accord with other nations. Space exploration will mean nothing if earth continues to race to the uninhabitable state at the current finish line. Maybe we can change that course. Stephen Hawkings says mid we have 90 years. You’ll never see another planet. This is what mankind has.
God help us.
11
It's not widely realised just how big Mars is. The area of Mars is about equal to the land area of the earth. So that's a really massive amount of real estate to explore. It will take a century or two to understand the planet at the level we understand our own.
2
I would much prefer to see my tax dollars go to space exploration than to see my dollars used to purchase expensive dining room furniture or private sound proof telephone booth and bullet proof desks for those whose brains run on personal greed.
The latter leads to death, space exploration leads to life.
48
How thick is the crust? How much heat is flowing out? Really, those are the interesting questions? You are not at all interested in whether or not there are microbial life forms in the regolith? Everyone wants to know if there is life on Mars yet NASA keeps sending up geological missions for some reason.
1
We didn't read the same article.
5
A number of other missions were sent to see if there was life. While the search for life is important, there are other scientific questions to be answered.
7
You gotta know where to drill for the oil. :-)
5
Talking scientifically, life probably came from Mars. Mystically speaking, life came from Mars. About time we find out what happened. We will find ourselves there.
Maybe Mars is a future Earth...
1
Space is the future. I am so happy whenever I hear about these missions.
We should cut our military budget by 80%, stop having wars every years, and put that money towards space exploration.
If we hadn't gone to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria maybe we would have astronauts on their way to Mars right now.
NASA is an investment in our species future. War is an investment in death.
69
Of course one wants to agree. But if there had been no wars, we wouldn't have had the rockets to get us to Mars in the first place, nor the electronics and computers to control them and process the data we glean.
1
" But if there had been no wars, we wouldn't have had the rockets to get us to Mars in the first place, nor the electronics and computers to control them and process the data we glean."
I think you are looking at the point backwards. It's not as though those technologies would not have been possible but for war. In fact, most of the necessary science was there already before World War II. Rather, the role war played was that of social incentive. Early/mid-20th century society was only willing to devote resources to developing those technologies when war came. Perhaps there's some lesson there about social priorities and wars of choice.
8
sorry, war has always driven the advances in technology. and always will. so as much as its not the right answer, the military and threat of war is critical to technology developments.
1
The Bad Joke that never ends. Wasting never ending BILLIONS on so called Mars missions. This one $814 million WASTED mission hinges on detecting something that has never been definitively detected before: marsquakes. The Mars madness would be funny if it was not being paid by with TAX dollars.
How about finally mapping the interior of the Moon which has very real practical value for America and the world. While there are endless Mars missions almost nothing has been spent on lunar exploration since the end of Apollo.
Its time to leave Mars to the Space Cadets like Elon Musk and or the rest of us to head back to the Moon !
1
$814 wasted?
How about the $2,000,000,000,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan?
The moon is a dead world. There is nothing left to learn there.
18
Joke? Hardly. This is the next stop for the 1%, after they have finished off this planet. If there is any joke being played, it's on the taxpayers who will probably be left behind. It might be wise to have $814 million farewell party for humankind.
1
Hmmm. This project is costing the equivalent of 2—count 'em TWO—F-22's, according to the GAO. Can you tell me what those two airplanes add, in terms of man's body of knowledge about the world in which he lives?
I am overjoyed that we still do this science, even in the face of open ended military costs.
47
Mars is a great place to scout for new real estate; but those of us rich enough to book a trip better hurry right along. Space aboard is limited, we'll all want to fly first class, and any of us who thinks she will need some water better grab it fast before the Koch brothers not only lay claim to it but then hopelessly pollute it.
12
I have no interest in flying to Mars. Not one decent Vietnamese restaurant, no cannabis shops, lousy in-flight movies, and not a cup of espresso on the entire planet. Keep it, Kochs (who will be dead from old age before we get there).
1
It would be great to be a scientist working on this project at NASA, maybe my next life.
23
The InSight lander is a scientific and engineering tour de force. It's also an international effort with key components and instruments provided by European partners. It represents what's best about a world based on enlightenment values of scientific inquiry paired with a cooperative world order.
At the same time, the latest Mars expedition is jarringly out of step with our Republican president and the 'modern' Republican Party. Our relations with Saudi Arabia are probably warmer than with our European allies.
And science and education are denigrated daily in service to political agendas supported by wealthy donors. These same donors often have large financial stakes in extractive industries, and they despise regulations that protect the public but hurt the bottom line.
Curiously, Republicans also feel empowered to preach and promote a particular view of morality or at least align themselves with staunchly conservative Christian sects.
Yes, god will provide so long as you believe the earth is 6000 years old and his perfect creation will never warm beyond habitability for countless species and billions of humans. Or at least he'll provide a luxurious lifestyle while our betters are looting the federal treasury.
19
It are missions like these which show us not just how much fundamental research still remains even on a planet as frequently examined as Mars, but also the kind of work which unmanned probes excel at.
Safe travels to InSight and a graceful landing once it arrives.
42
It’s very interesting but the idea that one day people will live on mars is completely nuts. For one thing there’s no air or water and even little scientists eat around 1500 calories a day.
Also there is microbes everywhere where, even on space rocks but single cell bacteria are a lot different from complex life like we have here and would take 400 million years to maybe develop
In 30 years earth might be just as hospitable. We should focus on that too.
8
The real problem for mankind on Mars will be the planet's thin atmosphere, which doesn't prevent damaging solar rays and cosmic rays from reaching the surface. It is thought this would limit human activities on the surface, which would drive us to underground structures and colonies. Which seems a pity, having got that far, since it looks a scenically wonderful place.
1
Actually there is water on Mars, it is locked in ice sheets at times. Water that can be used in a number of ways. It can even make air for people to breathe. With water, life is sustainable on Mars.
4
Finding Martian microbes would be revolutionary finding of life beyond earth. Afraid there is no evidence for that yet.
4