Completing our unfinished business on the moon

You should find a copy of the book "The Case for Mars" by Robert Zubrin. A very good analysis on what it takes to get to Mars and back. Very well thought out. Forward is by Arthur C. Clarke.

Bob

The part I thought was funny was where Bush said a moon base would get people much closer for the trip to Mars. Last time I checked, 7 days to the moon & what's Mars - around 9 months? That doesn't seem like much of a head start to me. I'm not surprised look at everything else Bush says. The guy is a moron.

If I were you, I'd be looking to feed from the Homoland Security trough. It's much bigger.

Phil Stein

Right... get money to use our tax dollars against us!

-dave w

because they are easy, but because they are hard" just leap right out at you decades later.<

Better speech writers!

Order a copy here:

I didn't see that in the transcript of his speech.

Mario Perdue NAR #22012 Sr. L2 for email drop the planet

It has to do with the gravity well Terra vs. Luna, lot less from Luna. This equates to more fuel, supplies. people etc that can be carried at initial thrust out of the well.

-- Dale Martin NAR 80678 L2 N0JFM

I think that if his speech writers had tried to use big catch phrases along those lines, the media would have said he was just trying to emulate Kennedy.

I assume you know that he was not referring to the physical distance to Mars being much shorter from the moon, but just in case... :)

The technology and resources that will be developed for long duration manned moon missions will help pave the way for a Mars mission which will obviously be a long duration mission.

The moon is closer to Mars because it is not the bottom of a very steep gravity well. (Seems obvious, ever read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by R.A. Heinlein?)

I think my "Dear John (Ashcroft)" letters that I sent to the US DOJ a few months ago pretty much screwed me out of feeding at the HSA trough, and the feed is tainted, anyway :-(

Hey, don't pick on Bush. English isn't his native language. Come to think of it, he doesn't have a native language.

Zooty

I believe that's part of the idea - lunar soil is rich in aluminum, silicon, and titanium (as the oxides) - separate that and you've got a chunk of your structural and life support mass requirements.

-dave w

Phil Stein

Hmmmm. Hearing things? Hey Hilty! Send Phil one of your tinfoil hats.

;-)

All makes, and models...

tah

Make sure it's shiny side out.

Shiny side out in DAYTIME. Shiny side IN at night. And don't forget to ground it.

This prevents your neuro-trons from being harvested by the Illuminati mothership, during REM.

Tisk, what would you folks do without me.

Aloha, Hold up here, it is NOT easier to launch towards Mars from the moon than it is based from Earth orbit, or from earth. Yes the delta V is lower, but you are still having to haul everything up out of earths gravity well to get it to the moon. Once en route to the moon, everything has to be slowed down to land on the moon intact (more delta V) then you have to boost it from the moon. (yet more delta V) If you are able to manufacture the vehicle or the fuel on the moon it makes sense. If you are bringing everything up from the earth, the moon is a waste of time, money, and mass budget.

Larry