General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We should have been colonizing the solar system by now. [View all]CubicleGuy
(323 posts)Outcome number 1: the mission fails due to inadequate planning for the unexpected, the sheer difficulty of the task, etc., etc. I mean, if you're going to send two or more guys to Mars, you also have to send them with enough food, water, breatheable air, and so on, and dragging all of that with you (or the technology to manufacture said necessities while en route) out of the earth's gravity pull is uncomprehendingly costly. If the mission fails, I think the average American decides that it's just not worth it. Due to the increased distances by comparison with the moon, we're talking at least a couple of orders of magnitude of increased difficulty. It's one thing to send robots there, it's another thing completely to send human beings there and then bring them back.
Outcome number 2: the mission succeeds. As with the moon missions, Americans become jaded and quickly lose interest.
My bet is that #1 is far more likely than #2.
Barring some fantastic breakthrough in advanced technology (warp drives, matter/energy conversion technology or something similar), I just can't see this happening.