Is a manned mission to Mars a big waste of money?
Asked by
Charles (
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January 7th, 2012
It is obviously more expensive, orders of magnitude so, to send (and return) humans to Mars. Robots and other technical machinery can accomplish a lot semi-autonomously and they don’t have to be returned and their space platforms don’t have to be man rated, etc – much cheaper.
How much more can humans do in now or assumably in the next couple of decades that would make a manned mission worth it?
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8 Answers
No… War is a big waste of money. The cash we spend on that could be used to build shopping malls on Mars and cities under the oceans. It would be a much greater scientific endeavor, a unifying source of national pride, and a tool for promoting great international relations by partnering with other nations.
As for the robot scenario, I have no problem with bots being utilized for scouting or dangerous missions, but our society is becoming much too comfortable with living vicariously through the eyes of a camera. Why visit Venice when I can just look at pretty photos online? Because being there is more rewarding than seeing there.
Not at all. I believe in scientific exploration for science’s sake. We do not do enough pure research.
For the foreseeable future when all we can do is fly men there at great risk only for them to return to Earth then it is a waste of money. I am in favour of establishing a colony on Mars or on the far side of the moon but it is too early for that.
We could not do much there yet, but you have to start somewhere.
I wanna live on Mars. Can’t make a robot that’ll do that, can we?
I think it’s a bit superfluous considering the economic situation in the U.S. right now, but disregarding that, I don’t think it’s a waste. I think it’s exciting!
Exploring is what human beings do.
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