[NASA is full of crap] Space experts warn Congress that NASA’s “Journey to Mars” is illusory

Once again Deckard all the things you're citing are very close to China. As stated China doesn't do far flung colonies. It is very paranoid about protecting it's immediate borders and always has been going back to the Qin Dynasty.

You're still presuming that just because the PRC acts aggressively close to its borders that it will act aggressively elsewhere. That is a real stretch. Further citing territorial disputes with Japan keep in mind that not just the PRC, but also Taiwan and South Korea have also accused Japan of an aggressive policy of expansion on disputed territory. In fact while in US the PRC is portrayed as the big baddie but most of the East Asian and SE Asian countries have territorial disputes with their neighbors. Either you're not aware of those or are mainly focusing on the PRC out of a cold war mentality.

Just to add too I think you and other posters, are ignoring how much a Lunar colonization program will cost and how challenging it is technically. Outside of the most pro-PRC supporters or those fearful of the PRC, believe that they have the capability to do so.

 

What would be the downside of China building bases on the moon? Some concern that they would be in a position to attach any future space missions or something? There can't be anything worth defending on the moon, can there? Unless there's something I'm just not thinking of.

 

While it is true that many countries have disputes with one another. No one comes close to the PRC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_disputes#Asia_and_the_Pacific

 

Deckard is better to answer that question since he is concerned and thinks it might happen. That said my understanding of the handwringing about the PRC building bases on the Moon is partially strategic but mostly about prestige. There are a lot of resources on the Moon and if humans ever take a major step into space colonization the Moon would be of huge benefit. The Moon's composition is almost the same as Earth's so the same metals are there and without all the millions of years of erosion and geological activity on Earth are probably easier to get to. There also probably is water on the Moon locked within the rocks and ice on permanently shaded slopes. A Moon base could be used a launching pad to Mars and the outer solar system. So if the PRC colonizes the Moon not only would we have a Mao Red Moon but next Mars truly is a Red planet then Europa, Ganymede and so on. Interplanetary Domino Theory.

Barring whether if the PRC could practically exploit the Moon building a base there is a blow to US prestige as the US getting to the Moon first was a blow to the Soviet Union prestige even though there was no strategic value out of it.

 

Other than Russia the PRC is the largest Asian country with the largest borders so it's not surprising they have more disputes than smaller countries. Still there have been and still are conflicts between many other countries in Asia. India and Pakistan dispute over Kashmir is potentially far more dangerous to World security than the PRC disputes.

Then again India has a space program too so maybe we should worry about an Indian Moon.

 

So is Badwagoneer the ghost of Mr. Meowgi? He has that same unhinged anger thing going as well as the apparent NASA obsession.

 

How is that factually inacurate? The magnetosphere which blocks much of the solar and cosmic radiation does extend as far as I noted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere#Earth.27s_magnetosphere
[rquoter]On the dayside of Earth, the magnetic field is significantly compressed by the solar wind to a distance of approximately 65,000 kilometers (40,000 mi). Earth's bow shock is about 17 kilometers (11 mi) thick[11] and located about 90,000 kilometers (56,000 mi) from Earth.[/rquoter]

The ISS orbits at around 410 KM.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station
[rquoter]Perigee 409 km (254 mi) AMSL[2]
Apogee 416 km (258 mi) AMS[/rquoter]

Further I did state that Scott Kelly is getting more radiation than we are on the surface of the Earth just not as much as he would from a trip to Mars past Earth's magnetosphere.

Also it looks like you forgot to read your whole link:
From the link you posted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_threat_from_cosmic_rays
[rquoter]The radiation environment of deep space is different from that on the Earth's surface or in low Earth orbit, due to the much larger flux of high-energy galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), along with radiation from solar proton events (SPEs) and the radiation belts.
...
Except for the very highest energy galactic cosmic rays, the radius of gyration in the Earth's magnetic field is small enough to ensure that they are deflected away from Earth. Missions beyond low Earth orbit leave the protection of the geomagnetic field, (the magnetosphere) and transit the Van Allen radiation belts. Thus they may need to be shielded against exposure to cosmic rays, Van Allen radiation, or solar flares. The region between two to four Earth radii lies between the two radiation belts and is sometimes referred to as the "safe zone".[12][13] See the implications of the Van Allen belts for space travel for more information.
The interplanetary magnetic field, embedded in the solar wind, also deflects cosmic rays. As a result, cosmic ray fluxes within the heliopause are inversely correlated with the solar cycle.[14][/rquoter]

Your own link cites that radiation is far greater beyond Earth's magnetosphere.

 

Further following up on Bandwagoner's link about health threats from cosmic radiation pointing out how much greater radiation danger is on a trip to Mars than a stay in low earth orbit shows this:


As shown a similar stay in time aboard the ISS is less radiation exposure than roughly the same amount of time in transit to Mars.

Also:
[rquoter]The Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) was launched in 2001 in order to collect more data. Estimates are that humans unshielded in interplanetary space would receive annually roughly 400 to 900 mSv (compared to 2.4 mSv on Earth)[/rquoter]
That is several times than the 150 mSv that Bandwagoner cited that Astronaut Kelly is exposed to on the ISS.

To sum up radiation is a major concern for interplanetary travel and something that will have to be addressed in any Mars mission. The technology exist to deal with it but it is technical challenge to address it when dealing with all the other issues that need to be addressed to get us bags of bones of jelly alive to Mars.

Edit: The chart I was trying to show didn't show up but here is the link showing comparison of radiation exposure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healt...isons-RadiationExposure-MarsTrip-20131209.png

 

Seriously can you not read or just in denial?

This is from your own link:
[rquoter]Missions beyond low Earth orbit leave the protection of the geomagnetic field[/rquoter]

 

You are a sad petulant child. Go on with your rant, see you when you grow up.

 

Also apparently you can't do math either.

150mSv per year in LEO is .41 per day. That is far smaller than the 1.2 to 1.4 per day in interplanetary space.

Also on your link I don't see any mention of the mass of the Earth. To be fair though the mass of the Earth probably does provide shielding for solar rays but note Cosmic rays aren't shielded by the Earth's mass as they are omni-directional.

 

Huh?

 

Bandwagoner seems like a fun guy.