I must admit to mixed emotions about sending human beings to Mars...right now (or in the near future). If we send humans there to collect scientific data, that's all well and good, and I'm sure an argument can be made for how valuable that is. But it won't KEEP us on Mars, anymore than it kept us on the Moon. Sending a colony to Mars seems the only way to keep us there...and then only if the colony continues to grow instead of having a constant replacement of a set number of scientists (and only scientists) in their cramped little shelter. Add to that the loooooooong travel time, the inherent dangers in that distance through brutal space, and the short attention span of human beings back on Earth...

Well, frankly, I think we should first concentrate on the Moon. It's closer. It takes less power, resources, etc. to get there. It will grow faster as a colony because it is closer. And I think a growing, thriving city on the Moon will eventually excite people to continue on to Mars (along with the added benefit of developing more powerful, perhaps nuclear, engines on the Moon rather than on Earth so we can get to Mars faster).

Tourism, vacation wonderlands...all these things seem much more realistic on the Moon than on Mars right now. And that growth on the Moon will hopefully show Earth what can be done if we continue expanding.

(Naturally, I haven't taken into account how much more difficult it might be to actually build a structure on the Moon rather than Mars, considering the difference in gravity, building material, availability of water, etc.)

What thinks you?

Moon. Helium-3. Glom want Helium-3.

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Freedom For Fission A breath of fresh Iodine-131

Well we've had 'colonies' in Antartica for a long time. What they study besides astronomy and earth sciences, I have no idea. What could they study on the Moon? Geology of the moon I suppose, what else? Astronomy certaintly. I think Mars is more interesting and would have more to study. I could open up a dune buggy and dirt bike rental shop!

From the tourist standpoint, moon - Mars, makes no difference. Either one would be cool. The moon is closer and would have a better view so if you want to make a resort, I'd say the moon.

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You're a coward and a liar and a thOOF - Bart Sibrel

I say the moon. Lets make sure that we can do it close to home first before trying to do it half a solar system away.

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Howling from the Shadows

It must be fun to lead a life completely unburdened by reality. --- JayUtah

You can't reason an irrational person out of an irrational belief. --- Noclevername

Apollo: The History and the Hoax
Enter the World of Athran

Baby steps. The moon first. Plus I think the Moon has a lot of titanium in it as well.

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Happiness is the Earth in your rear view mirror.

Neither

It is a colossal waste of money

We have more pressing needs back here :x

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Fame, glory adventure, a cyber warrior craves not these things.

Sticks,
If mankind had followed your logic, we would still be living in caves. There are always more pressing needs than exploration.

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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

I haven't really come to a decision on this. Returning to the Moon would be cool, though, and going to Mars is so much tougher that it would make sense to practice with the Moon first.

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

We mustn't spread ourselves too thinly. We must secure our dominance over the geosphere first.

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Freedom For Fission A breath of fresh Iodine-131

The Moon. Why? Because the show will be better. The air to ground loops feature only a 2.5 second delay, so press conferences with Lunar Explorers will still be interactive. I also think that a Lunar mission should be long duration. What was daft about Apollo was that all the effort to simply get there and back was hardly worth the time spent actually doing stuff once they were there. Had Apollo allowed 10 people to stay on the Moon for 3 months or so, then the cost and effort would have been worth while.

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Things are only impossible until they're not!-Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Admin of the new and very much improved Apollohoax forum

That's a good point. It would be nice to work out the problems involved with long-duration stays on another celestial body somewhere comparatively close to home before trying it on Mars.

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

Well, don't forget that astronauts need food to eat and water to drink. These things have mass, and mass requires fuel, which has mass, which requires fuel...

But yeah, longer stays would be have been more efficient, if you ask me. But, then again, maybe there's a reason I'm not a rocket scientist ;)

Luna is the optimum choice. Like Glom mentioned, Helium-3. The moon is the closest major source of He3, after that you have to look to Jupiter.

Also, the lunar regolith is 43% Oxygen by mass. Considering most of the launch weight of the space shuttle is oxygen, this means you have a good source to refuel with on the way elsewhere. Even if there's not enough hydrogen on the moon to be useful, the ability to carry many times more hydrogen from Earth and combine with lunar oxygen means reduced costs.

Finally, I don't see Luna as just a chance to do some science or test our martian equipment. I see it the key to space. We don't need to just send a couple people at a time to place some science gadgets or test some new doohicky. We need to start sending dozens of people, with all the stuff needed to stay for long periods of time. Offer tax breaks and incentives to companies willing to help develop the lunar infrastructure. Offer a one billion dollar X-Prize and a lucrative contract to the first company able to ferry one dozen passengers to the moon and back and see how many people jump at the chance to win.

We're wasting time when we could easily be plotting our dominion of the solar system.

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People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.

Congress would never allow either, especially with the war in Iraq and the budget deficit.

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Fame, glory adventure, a cyber warrior craves not these things.

Well there is a reason it is called Congress and not Progress.

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Howling from the Shadows

It must be fun to lead a life completely unburdened by reality. --- JayUtah

You can't reason an irrational person out of an irrational belief. --- Noclevername

Apollo: The History and the Hoax
Enter the World of Athran