[Newsbot]

Title: Canada likely left out in cold in U.S. plans for Mars exploration, expert says
Category: World
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2010-04-15 20:52:29
Canadian

[Canadian_Mind]

Really wish we'd set more aspiring goals for ourselves, like putting our own satellites and astronauts into orbit for one.

While it may be expensive, having the CSA working in conjuction with one or more of these companies could achieve these goals at a lower upfront cost than the CSA doing it alone.

Or am I thinking too pie in the sky here?

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Why would we even waste the money? Who cares about Mars? We live here.
As for putting satllites and astronauts into orbit, I can seriously think of about 1000 things that the money could be better used for right here in Canada.

[Bacardi4206]

Canadian_Mind Canadian_Mind:

Really wish we'd set more aspiring goals for ourselves, like putting our own satellites and astronauts into orbit for one.

While it may be expensive, having the CSA working in conjuction with one or more of these companies could achieve these goals at a lower upfront cost than the CSA doing it alone.

Or am I thinking too pie in the sky here?

That would be a very expensive thing to do, actually too expensive for Canada. We may have the money someplace, I mean we are not a non-rich country but this is the same government that simply cannot find any lasting source of income for the Canadian Forces. We are far better mooching off of NASA missions, however while it's not patriotic or self important. Being having to rely on NASA to include Canada in it's missions. It however does ensure a much better success for space exploration if nations worked together for it. It's not hard to say NASA would not be the same organization they are today without Canada and our tech.

If countries stopped putting national patriotism in the way of space exploration, we can actually do much more. One organization, multiple country backing. Which means income from all of them, astronauts, tech, expertise, all the most brilliant minds in regards to this all working together. That would be a better thing to do.

[angler57]

USA has an election in November.
Don't take a thing the Pres says as anything but election Noise.

[Warthaug]

Bacardi4206 Bacardi4206:

If countries stopped putting national patriotism in the way of space exploration, we can actually do much more. One organization, multiple country backing. Which means income from all of them, astronauts, tech, expertise, all the most brilliant minds in regards to this all working together. That would be a better thing to do.

Such an organisation does exist - the European space Organisation. Granted its euro-centric, but the model could be expanded.

In reality its also the only way thinks like manned missions to mars will ever occur. The price is likely beyond anything any country today could foot.

Bryan

[bootlegga]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Why would we even waste the money? Who cares about Mars? We live here.
As for putting satllites and astronauts into orbit, I can seriously think of about 1000 things that the money could be better used for right here in Canada.

The US Space program in the 60s led to the development of dozens of key technologies people still use everyday, like smaller computers, microwave ovens, pocket calculators, etc. There were also plenty of military applications as well.

The boost in research and development, as well as general technological know-how can be worth a fortune to nations that have space programs. That plus the amount of resources in space dwarfs what's here on earth.

If we had the capability to pull just a couple decent sized asteroids into orbit (L5 would be a nice, safe place), then we could mine them, creating another economic boom as prices for a variety of metals dropped. Or perhaps we could develop a series of solar mirrors to harness the power of the sun, beam the power down to earth via microwave, and we could have free, cheap energy.

That's just TWO possible applications of having a space program.

[ASLplease]

free cheap energy? you have a different view on how politics and corporate america work. I like the idea but will remain the pessimist.

[bootlegga]

I guess free and cheap were a poor choice of words, I should have used abundant and neverending (unless you count 3 billion or so years fro mnow when our sun will become a red dwarf sun and swallow us whole ). I also might add, relatively pollution free too.

[ASLplease]

agreed. Im sure we were sold the 'free and cheap' idea when the first power company decided to build a damn and generate power from water and gravity

[PluggyRug]

bootlegga bootlegga:

The US Space program in the 60s led to the development of dozens of key technologies people still use everyday, like smaller computers, microwave ovens, pocket calculators, etc. There were also plenty of military applications as well.

The boost in research and development, as well as general technological know-how can be worth a fortune to nations that have space programs. That plus the amount of resources in space dwarfs what's here on earth.

Na, it was all that reverse engineered stuff from area 51.

[DerbyX]

bootlegga bootlegga:

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Why would we even waste the money? Who cares about Mars? We live here.
As for putting satllites and astronauts into orbit, I can seriously think of about 1000 things that the money could be better used for right here in Canada.

The US Space program in the 60s led to the development of dozens of key technologies people still use everyday, like smaller computers, microwave ovens, pocket calculators, etc. There were also plenty of military applications as well.

The boost in research and development, as well as general technological know-how can be worth a fortune to nations that have space programs. That plus the amount of resources in space dwarfs what's here on earth.

If we had the capability to pull just a couple decent sized asteroids into orbit (L5 would be a nice, safe place), then we could mine them, creating another economic boom as prices for a variety of metals dropped. Or perhaps we could develop a series of solar mirrors to harness the power of the sun, beam the power down to earth via microwave, and we could have free, cheap energy.

That's just TWO possible applications of having a space program.

Another area where I wouldn't balk at a tax levy if it truly went to support such a program.