Mans ability to reach out into the heavens has, at least in my generation, and I am 56, always been founded in equal parts science ability and science fiction forecasts.

When I was a kid in the early '50's, we would sit around and dream of the year 2000, flying cars, George Jetson style houses, space ships to the unknown etc.. Even Kubrick had a vision of what we would be doing in 2001.. reality has a way of bursting that bubble.

The reality is that we move much slower than our imaginations usually do. Our scientific abilities are driven by mandates to get things done, without the imperative need to do something, it usually doesn't get done.

It was purceived that we needed an Atom Bomb to win a war, poof... 3 years and several billion dollars and national pride later, and boom, two cities disappear and we win a war.

On the converse, we now have probes to Mars, Titan, Saturn, and the Soviets sent probes to Venus. Not exactly Capt. Kirk getting it on with the green girl, but progress none the less.

I would like to think that the political situation in 20 years will have changed enough in the US to allow funding for this; at present, though, I fear neither side (Democrats or Republicans) would dare commit the money with the huge national debt, deficit spending, and the social security "crisis" looming.

Can Europe help a fella out?

Australia?

(China???)

Well no one said it had to be the US. Russia could, if they recovered from their current economic state.
Or Canada...
(Note to CSA: Get more money. Start manned space program).

You just wait until I'm in charge... superpower status, here we come!

Well I can dream, can't I?

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Quaeso quousque humi defixa tua mens erit? Nonne aspicis, quae in templa veneris?

On current trends, assuming no catstrophes or unexpected developments, in 2025 the world economic ranking will be:

1. China
2. EU
3. India
4. US

It's going to be very interesting.

Australia????? I wish! Unfortunately Mars Society Australia is the closest thing that this country has to a Mars program. Disgraceful for a country that was the 4th to put a satellite in orbit.

Jon

Oh yeah? We were number 3, and we're not much better off.

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Quaeso quousque humi defixa tua mens erit? Nonne aspicis, quae in templa veneris?

I think that $400,000,000,000.00 price tag for a manned mission was put together by the guys who only wanted robots to explore space!

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Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

- Jesus -

1. To explore.

2. Where else do you have in mind that a human could go?

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Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

- Jesus -

To the supreme canuck - Stop Whinging! [-X

You have a space program, you have an astronaut corps, you launch instruments on probes and satellites on a regular basis, you have close formal relations with NASA and ESA. Australia has none of those :roll:

Jon

European Space Agency selects candidates for Mars-500 experiment
http://www.interfax.com/3/380174/news.aspx

If we reach Mars until that date may be a problem. But I am interested in the fact of making Mars a place to leave and I am concerned with people going there and returning from Mars on a regular Basis. So far, we were not able to do it with the Moon. Yes, I know, people have been there! And? What’s next? Go to Mars, bring a stone back and that's it?

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Energy flows where attention goes!