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

Parachutes don't work for something that size because the size of the parachute would be too big (it won't open properly at those speeds in the Martian atmosphere).

I don't know all the technical details necessary to confirm or deny the plausibility of a voyage to Mars - I don't think anyone here on this forum does, including yourself. But I do think the way you dismiss the challenges is rather casual and ignores many other points others have been made.

For example, you dismiss radiation by talking about Kelly - but neglect to factor in that ISS is within the earth's protective magnetic field, thus Kelly is shielded - but a trip to mars would expose an astronaut to far more dangerous levels of cosmic radiation.

You need a lot of fuel to get to Mars even if you leave from Earths orbit. And sending a human in a "can" may not be feasible either for many reasons. Once they get there, how will they get to the surface of Mars? And how will they get back?

 

I read a few of your posts and you seem to know a few things but you are also off about others and I don't know why you act so high and mighty about "knowledge" you picked up from the web?

 

Can you guys get to this link?
http://mars.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/

 

http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/tl_entry1.html
An excerpt from Spirit and Opportunity Rover's landing, this is after using parachutes and retro rockets. I don't think human can survive this kind of landing.

 

You can wait because we are learning to land. ie. the baby steps we need to take to Mars.

 

You suggested we can go to Mars NOW but the facts are we don't know how and we can't afford it yet.
We are still learning many things.

 

My interest in this thread is a constant tug-o-war between the intriguing nature of the subject being discussed and Bandwagoner's seeming complete inability to have civil discourse with anyone that even remotely disagrees with him.

 

ISS has taught us many things. Going forward, you can't simply eliminate it and not having adverse effect. We'll lose the people. What we can do and I think we are doing it little by little is to trim down the current programs and move people to others. You do know ISS's support is much slimmer than before, right? And all those people that supported STS, when we terminated that program, some did stay in the space industry but we lost a lot as well.
I think they said the same happen to Apollo.

As for the "suggested architectures" to go to Mars. If you can be specific, we can talk them but from what I know they are just ideas, some are good, some are pipe dreams, many of those ideas still need to be explored, studied, tested...Some we are actually working on, the Heavy lift launch vehicles ... but they are still years away.

 

The ARM, Asteroid Redirect Mission is important.
https://www.nasa.gov/content/how-will-nasas-asteroid-redirect-mission-help-humans-reach-mars

Can you read that link?

 

This is a budget projection:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter...ia/File:NASA-Main_budget_chart_14-01-2004.svg

 

Same here. I came for a thread about presidents making public proclamations and unfunded mandates about NASA projects (and NASA's resentment at being pressured to abandon useful projects and re-allocate funds) and stayed for the combative banter.

 

So the answer was yes to my question. You should try to go for a run or a workout everyday. It will help you get some of this pent up rage out.

 

The Earth's Magnetosphere extends 65,000 KM on the sunward side and 90,000 KM on the night side. The ISS orbits at around 410 KM. Kelly is getting more radiation than us on the surface of the Earth but not nearly what the exposure would be on a trip to Mars.

 

"Just saying that since the PRC is seizing and control and building up capabilities on islands in the South China Sea to that meaning that they will do the same elsewhere is a very big stretch. It ignores the both the historical and present context of why the PRC is active in the that region. Hint, the name should tell you something."

Judo, do a search on Google along the lines of, "China claims Ryukyu Islands." Several sources in the Chinese government controlled media that typically parrot what the PRC wants them to say essentially said just that in 2013. That the Ryukyu island chain are "historically" Chinese possessions. Yes, that includes Okinawa, where we have 27,000 of our people, mostly Marines. Considering the fact that China is busy trampling international law in the South China Sea and that they like to use "historical facts" to justify what they are doing, I wouldn't be so sanguine about their actions. As for the Moon, the reason I mentioned that is because China has said they are going there, that they will build bases there, and China's actions the last few years, not just in the South China Sea, will drive American politics to return there ourselves. Cause and effect. I don't think China will declare that it "owns the Moon," but rather that they will build "facts" on the Lunar surface and that we will respond. Politically, we will have to. I would love for China to have a less dangerous, less expansionist, and more reasonable government, but under Xi, who shows no sign of political weakness to date, I don't see that happening. I think things will get worse and more dangerous than they are now, and things have gotten pretty damn dangerous.

Hint, their actions to date should tell you something.