[Polyxo]

I really like looking at some cool new pics from mars. And I totally admire the engineering effort of making this mission work, BUT: what is it really, apart from those pics and some rock samples? What can be gained apart from some interesting facts about Mars and it's past?

It's not like the early days any more when space technology could advance technology on earth. Because of all the reliability and necessary testing involved, the on-board instruments actually lag pro consumer products by a couple of years. The next big super computer isn't some specialized monster of engineering, just a couple of PS3 linked together.

Say, we find some valuable minerals up there, we'd still have no way to put them to use. Meanwhile we switch from one way to waste resources to another, totally ignoring that rare minerals sunk unrecoverably into PV-cells will probably not last as long, as the reserves of fossil fuels will.

The next step, sending a few people over there, will not solve earths population problem. Instead we find some large sweet water reservoir in africa and are happy to be able to sustain half of africa for 400years on yet another fossil source... then what?

I mean, there's so many, many unsolved problems down here on little earth. Why not break those frontiers first?

Yup. Well said.

[Hervé]

+1

We have everything here on earth !.. Mars is a desert... although what they could do is to send all the criminals there.. then maybe in 1 million years, we'd have a real Star Wars... hehe

[yolk]

apart from the research which is always valuable, i hope these endeavors inspire young kids to become scientists and engineers instead of becoming the next honey boo boo

[hatts]

I'm with Ha_Loe and Polyxo.

The reasoning I always hear from my engineer/researcher friends is that "we need space programs for the R&D they eventually provide for systems/products here on earth" but I don't see that as a good enough reason. Couldn't you take those billions of dollars and directly invest it in some unified sea exploration program? Or tunnel toward Earth's core? Or finally properly invest in ecological restoration? Surely these programs, if given as much time/brains/money as NASA, could also provide us with broadly useful R&D.

Sending dune buggies to planets we don't live on, when we barely understand the one we DO live on...doesn't seem like the right priority.

[Bubbaloo]

Scientific exploration for the sole purpose of expanding knowledge and understanding of our universe without profit as motivation... it's a freaking miracle in this day and age of money worship. This is what it means to advance the human race as opposed to only maintaining it.

[eric nixon]

The objective usefullness surely depends on weather you believe science will eventually provide a solution for space travel outside of our solar system? I dont think it will.

If we could even travel at a onehundredth-the speed of light (6.7 million mph) then the NEAREST planets outside our system are still 420 years travel.... < rough guess

This is also the reason that if you believe in aliens visiting earth you need to believe time-travel is possible

[O2b4wln]

When so many ask "Why?" This man clearly asks, "Why Not?" And it's the Why Nots that can lead to some pretty awesome stuff.

[Hervé]

Hatts and Eric, I agree.

although I think humans are like Cancer if you think large... whatever can be colonized has to be colonized. at any price.. so that's nature, it's in our genes ...

h/

[mtripoli]

Thank you Bubbaloo; elegantly stated.

As for some "why's": http://wtfnasa.com/

[rusteberg]

Scientific exploration for the sole purpose of expanding knowledge and understanding of our universe without profit as motivation... it's a freaking miracle in this day and age of money worship. This is what it means to advance the human race as opposed to only maintaining it.

I'm currently in talks with Wal-Mart to render their first Mars flagship development. Sources tell me that investors are long on sunscreen and water bottling companies while shorting green energy.

[Bubbaloo]

I do work for a firm that has Walmart as a client so it invalidates any opinions I may have on any subject.

[Hervé]

mmm.. hello Tech people.. hehe

in this photo http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/6760 ... alfull.jpg you can see they used some plastic straps to tighten some cables together.. are they using some special plastics... I thought temperatures were supposed to be pretty high during the day...?

h./

[Bubbaloo]

Under the black "censored" parts of that picture is evidence of previous civilizations that were first to explore Mars. Another government cover-up.

[rusteberg]

full 360 pano:

http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosit ... 51.62,41.0

pretty amazing...

[mtripoli]

That is awesome! Thank you for posting. When me wife looked at it the first thing she asked about was the shadows. Just gave a short lesson in lighting!