My bet is on Elon Musk and SpaceX. They have working rockets today, and a working Dragon capsule today. SpaceX will be on Mars years before NASA is ready.
Musk's help to speeding up our space exploration is immeasurable, but SpaceX only succeeded because NASA helped them, they gave them tips, material and intellectual help and most importantly their first job after only having one successful launch, in effect saving SpaceX from death in infancy. Musk's success is more pushing the government than NASA, NASA could have went to Mars in the 80s and would if they got funding. As Musk makes the government ashamed of it's complacency NASA will get that funding. And be it in SpaceX rockets and spacecraft or NASA made stuff, the first people to walk on Mars will likely be NASA astronauts.
Maybe the funding from NASA saved SpaceX, since they funded almost half of his first billion (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX#Funding). But SpaceX has no need for NASA-funding today, just look at their list of clients. The competition for a manned landing on Mars will be between SpaceX and China. Do not underestimate China, they used to copy everything, but today they are on par with Western countries in almost any technology. I predict NASA will jiggle and struggle for another ten of fifteen years, to avoid becoming obsolete.
I doubt SpaceX will develop an astronaut corps, not when NASA has a ready made one. That and money will be the very least NASA will contribue to a Mars mission. And China is stagnating, especially in their space exploration, I would be extremely surprised if they came anywhere near being the first to Mars. Don't get me wrong, Musk is awesome and his companies even more so. They will change the world, he is easily my favorite celebrity, idol even. But SpaceX fans like us are forgetting how important NASA is for SpaceX's continued success, they will have a role to play in the Mars landing, quite possible the crucial one.
Yes, I wonder too were Musk will get his astronauts. As for China, they just got another 'first' in spaceflight with the launch yesterday of a quantum encryption sattellite, which was the 12-th rocket launch this year. Take a look: forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=5060.1400
Also we have a drive to more energy intensive strategic materials needed for your tech . You do not up the ante for industrialization when simple solutions are available.
The asteroid redirect mission, the mission to fly to Martian moons, and manned Martian flyby are all waste of times when it comes to landing on and exploring Mars
@Yiliant I think you see it much the same as I do. I shouldn't say morons, but people are misguided if they think we can overlook these problems because of this lofty aspiration. The problems you mention must be in our past before going beyond Earth or we would only repeat those problems elsewhere. I can't imagine a second planet full of these same problems, which is proof we are far from ready to colonize anywhere beyond Earth.
@Yiliant Still, it will only spread a flawed system, it's good if the public's money isn't spent on it , but at the present time nit won't benefit the average person on Earth.
@Yiliant Obviously the people in the 1400's were right. Going to Mars is an extension of the same crumbling system. We simply need to stop for repair of civilization. It's a good time now that we are global.
I grew up with Charlie Precourts daughter Aimee, such a wonderful family. He came to our school before his last space flight and spoke
To us.
"Why Mars? Inspiring a Nation to Greatness." ;-)
My bet is on Elon Musk and SpaceX. They have working rockets today, and a working Dragon capsule today. SpaceX will be on Mars years before NASA is ready.
Musk's help to speeding up our space exploration is immeasurable, but SpaceX only succeeded because NASA helped them, they gave them tips, material and intellectual help and most importantly their first job after only having one successful launch, in effect saving SpaceX from death in infancy.
Musk's success is more pushing the government than NASA, NASA could have went to Mars in the 80s and would if they got funding. As Musk makes the government ashamed of it's complacency NASA will get that funding. And be it in SpaceX rockets and spacecraft or NASA made stuff, the first people to walk on Mars will likely be NASA astronauts.
Maybe the funding from NASA saved SpaceX, since they funded almost half of his first billion (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX#Funding).
But SpaceX has no need for NASA-funding today, just look at their list of clients.
The competition for a manned landing on Mars will be between SpaceX and China. Do not underestimate China, they used to copy everything, but today they are on par with Western countries in almost any technology.
I predict NASA will jiggle and struggle for another ten of fifteen years, to avoid becoming obsolete.
I doubt SpaceX will develop an astronaut corps, not when NASA has a ready made one. That and money will be the very least NASA will contribue to a Mars mission. And China is stagnating, especially in their space exploration, I would be extremely surprised if they came anywhere near being the first to Mars.
Don't get me wrong, Musk is awesome and his companies even more so. They will change the world, he is easily my favorite celebrity, idol even. But SpaceX fans like us are forgetting how important NASA is for SpaceX's continued success, they will have a role to play in the Mars landing, quite possible the crucial one.
Yes, I wonder too were Musk will get his astronauts.
As for China, they just got another 'first' in spaceflight with the launch yesterday of a quantum encryption sattellite, which was the 12-th rocket launch this year. Take a look: forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=5060.1400
SEND ME TO MARS
SEND MARS TO ME
Fix our home spaceship first.
@MTS BOUR You also have to have a spaceship closed loop system for all new tech. Nukes for example are not.
Also we have a drive to more energy intensive strategic materials needed for your tech . You do not up the ante for industrialization when simple solutions are available.
We are the martians. Need to go back home!
Mars has no magnetic field? Life needs a magnetic field to prosper.
+Marans Candy It only needs it with no technology. Technology can overcome that need.
+Marans Candy found the hippie with the copper bracelets on!
All your technology should be tried out on your mission to Fukushima or Chernobyl
I'd get solid home sick
The asteroid redirect mission, the mission to fly to Martian moons, and manned Martian flyby are all waste of times when it comes to landing on and exploring Mars
We are never going to Mars.
Our future is extinction.
We are going nowhere.
@Yiliant
I think you see it much the same as I do. I shouldn't say morons, but people are misguided if they think we can overlook these problems because of this lofty aspiration. The problems you mention must be in our past before going beyond Earth or we would only repeat those problems elsewhere. I can't imagine a second planet full of these same problems, which is proof we are far from ready to colonize anywhere beyond Earth.
ALSO, we need those resources AND those people to heal our own planet.
@Yiliant
Still, it will only spread a flawed system, it's good if the public's money isn't spent on it , but at the present time nit won't benefit the average person on Earth.
@Yiliant
Obviously the people in the 1400's were right. Going to Mars is an extension of the same crumbling system. We simply need to stop for repair of civilization. It's a good time now that we are global.
SEND ME TO MARS