Mariner 4 Alternate Universe, What if...? |
Mariner 4 Alternate Universe, What if...? |
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![]() Merciless Robot ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 ![]() |
What if Mariner 4's flyby had occurred right across Tharsis & Coprates Chasma, showing volcanoes & canyons instead of heavily cratered terrain? (I understand that trajectory determinants prevented this from happening, of course, but still...). Do you suppose that Mars exploration would have been thrown into hyperdrive during the heady '60s, perhaps enough to sustain manned efforts beyond Apollo?
Doug, my apologies if this is OT for this section...there seem to be some interesting implications here for the imaginative, though. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Guest_DonPMitchell_* |
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#2
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Well I've been told to shut up whenever I've said this before (not that that means much to me), but I think long-term human habitation of Mars requires some careful strategic thinking that is pretty much absent from current space programs. Instead of making real progress with a series of automatic probes, laboratories and factories, the emphasis has been on expensive high-propaganda-value missions that are basically one-shot deals. Like Apollo, you spend a fortune landing a man somewhere remote, by the fastest means possible, and after the media event is over there is nothing lasting to show for it.
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#3
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![]() Senior Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 ![]() |
Like Apollo, you spend a fortune landing a man somewhere remote, by the fastest means possible, and after the media event is over there is nothing lasting to show for it. Nothing lasting in terms of manned flight, but do you not think the science from the returned moonrocks and other experiments was a worthwhile lasting contribution? |
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Guest_DonPMitchell_* |
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#4
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Nothing lasting in terms of manned flight, but do you not think the science from the returned moonrocks and other experiments was a worthwhile lasting contribution? I'm not sure that's the right question to ask. Were the Moon rocks worth $135 billion? Of course not. We could have gotten Moon rocks like the Soviets did for one percent of that cost. I think the actual and intended benefits of Apollo were: 1. Mobilize Americans to become scientists and engineers 2. Demonstrate the superiority of capitalism over socialism 3. Economically stimulate high-technology industry 4. Boost national morale I'd love to see that kind of national mobilization happen again, but I don't think repeating the exact same program would have those benefits today. Thomas Friedmann has suggested that American energy independence would be a good program. Who knows? |
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