From: Nathan Wilkens (nathan.wilkens@asu.edu)
Date: Sun Feb 02 2003 - 09:00:49 PST
I just wanted to add a final point to my discussion about NASA's
underfunding and future...
Today (Feb 2, 2003), the United States is in a far better position to go to
Mars within 10 years than the US was when Kennedy announced we were going to
the Moon. Our science is far more mature, we know the real risks involved,
and it would cost far less (in inflation adjusted dollars) to go to Mars
than we spent on going to the Moon. We are currently in the process of
sending unmanned rovers to perform basic science (just like when we went to
the Moon) and understand the detailed parameters of a manned Mars mission.
However, to actually send a manned mission to Mars we still need one
thing..... someone to say "Let's go!"
Thanks,
Nathan Wilkens
May the Columbia crew find final peace, and their families be comforted..
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