Mars Curiosity

[Little John]

USD$2.5billion to get a rover to Mars on a 2 year mission.

GDP£12billion for 2 weeks of running, jumping and skipping.

The bit I love is that not only we are using a satellite that is already in orbit around Mars as a communications relay but we are using a different satellite to see what is going on.

Yep, amazing.

Those NASA boys and girls have really shone on this one. Bloody incredible achievement.

Given the kind of insane stratospheric numbers that are flying around the global financial system at the moment, what this mission has cost is less than a drop in the ocean.

[biffvernon]

It would make all the theologians shut the **** up was well.

No it wouldn't - their beliefs are not founded upon evidence and rational argument. Science and religion operate in separate paradigms.

[biffvernon]

There's trouble brewing.

2nd picture returned by Curiosity:

[Little John]

It would make all the theologians shut the **** up was well.

No it wouldn't - they're beliefs are not founded upon evidence and rational argument. Science and religion operate in separate paradigms.

That has to be just about the best euphemism I have read for saying that they, essentially, make shit up......

[adam2]

There's trouble brewing.

2nd picture returned by Curiosity:

That is clearly a fake.
Everyone knows that Martians have green skin.

[the_lyniezian]

Ignoring the completely unwarranted anti-religious sentiment out of the way (except to say- lets not pretend theologians have not been seriously discussing the possiblility of advanced extraterrestrial life for several decades now, as did C.S. Lewis, as I recall- personally I have my doubts but one never knows), I would like to point out there could be some benefits if it were possible to locate and extract the right sort of mineral deposits or similar, via means of unmanned craft. Perhaps rare earth deposits that might be useful in green tech? Of course the costs would be considerable to say the least. But it perhaps is at least as worthwhile a pursuit than trying to chase doen hypothetical life.

And let's not pretend we couldn't fund far more of this if we weren't spending vast sums of money on excesive military spending an utterly stupid wars. (And perhaps an inflated welfare system, maybe including my JSA I don't know, but...)

[biffvernon]

It's a NASA photo, taken from Curiosity. They will have used a red filter on the camera to keep up the pretence that this is the 'red' planet.

[biffvernon]

How many times does it have to be re-stated that 'rare earth' minerals are not at all rare - at least not on Earth. I've no idea about their abundance on Mars but that's a long way off and mining Mars is almost as silly an idea as a belief in god.

[adam2]

How many times does it have to be re-stated that 'rare earth' minerals are not at all rare - at least not on Earth. I've no idea about their abundance on Mars but that's a long way off and mining Mars is almost as silly an idea as a belief in god.

Yes, rare earth metals are much rarer than say copper, iron, or lead, but they are required in relatively small amounts.
Large reserves exist in the USA and probably elswhere, but mining, like many dirty industries was exported to China.

Sending an unmanned craft TO mars was expensive enough, the cost of sending mining equipment and craft able to make a return journey appears likely to remain prohibitive.
And how is the return craft to be fuelled? sending enough hydrogen and oxygen from earth, or obtaining it on mars both seem improbable.

Cheap fusion power would do it, but it has not been invented yet.
And even if we DID develop cheap fusion power, it might be better applied to mining low grade ores on earth.

[biffvernon]

On the other hand, if there was oil...

[mobbsey]

And even if we DID develop cheap fusion power, it might be better applied to mining low grade ores on earth.

High grade ore is created by volcanic/tectonic processes and hydrothermal circulation. Mars probably hasn't had enough of a history of volcanism and tectonics to create high grade ores in easily accessible quantities.

[Tarrel]

On the other hand, if there was oil...

The scientist behind the Beagle project was being interviewed earlier on the radio. He was talking about looking for evidence of life in sedimentary rocks; (quote) "the kind you get oil from". Freudian slip?

[Pepperman]

You really don't want to be hauling materials up gravity wells as would be required for planetary mining. Asteroids would be much better from a gravitational point of view.

Unless of course we build a space elevator, in which case, go for it!

[emordnilap]

Milky Way as seen from Mars:

[kenneal - lagger]

Like it! The picture, I mean.