Mars

Manned flight to Mars

by Dave

We are learning many reasons why the OceanGate submarine was not safe enough to go 13,000 ft below the sea to view the Titanic. Of course, there was little problem sending cameras and strobe lights down to these depths. In fact, advances in robotics now make it possible to explore extremely challenging environments.

I feel the same way about exploration of Mars. I really loved the latest headline from NASA, “The Ingenuity Phones Home” which of course, is about receiving communications from the Ingenuity helicopter, after a communications black out, because the helicopter communicates with the Perseverance Rover, which was behind a hill, and couldn’t receive communications. All that changed on June 28, and I am hoping for more images from the Martian surface.

Pictured above is Sara Langberg, an aeromechanical engineer at AeroViroment, and a member of the team which designed the Ingenuity helicopter.

“I’m honored and humbled to be a part of it,” said Langberg. “Hardware that I designed and built with my own hands is going to touch the surface of Mars and that’s just mind-boggling.”

Mars is not a place to be colonized. This is a ridiculous notion. Locking up six astronauts for two years and submitting them to unhealthy conditions (weightlessness and radiation) makes no sense. I want real research not headlines.

CNN Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/25/health/biology-of-spaceflight-studies-wellness-scn-trnd/index.html

Red risks for a journey to the red planet: The highest priority human health risks for a mission to Mars

Mars is a planet to be explored. Send the robots, rovers, helicopters, and other devices with thousands of sensors.

By the way, Elon Musk isn’t going. Neither is Mr. “Multi-planet Species” Neil deGrasse Tyson. They are not taking a chance on their health. They are not subjecting themselves to 2 years of confinement.

I have commented on this topic before, and nothing really has changed my opinion.

Stay tuned,

Dave

US and Russia

by Dave

Putin wanted Trump over Clinton.  It should have been Clinton’s greatest non-endorsement.  Putin feels the breakup of the Soviet Union was a mistake, and some of the  Baltic states should be part of Russia.  Putin has expansionary ambitions.

Sanctioning Russia for the hacking efforts was a tough call for Obama.   It was an executive order, but this time Republicans did not fight him.   Trump has the authority to reverse these orders- and I think he will.    Trump’s response was weird at best, praising Putin for not responding in kind, with expulsion of US diplomats.

Trump is very used to project management.  In fact, he is a master at it.  His team will come up with a 100 day plan, mainly dealing with domestic issues, including the repatriation of overseas funds.   He has repeated attacked the NATO alliance and the UN.  Now, he will need these organizations more than ever,  and a lot of diplomacy to curb the ambitious Putin.

With the transition underway, and resistance from Democrats on every level,  I believe this will be the opportune time for Putin to make his move.  I’m not certain where, but the western side of the Ukraine or one of the Baltic states would be obvious targets.

The Trump test is coming.  I wish he makes the right decisions as what happens in Europe affects everyone.  Lesson to Trump – globalization is not a choice, it is a reality.

Stay tuned,

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mars Exploration and Charles Bolden

by Dave

Space exportation is to gain knowledge, not headlines.   Attempts to land on Mars and send back images  proved to be extremely challenging, but we did it.  The best estimates so far on the time travel is 9 months.

The question should not be whether we explore Mars, but whether we should do it with manned or unmanned spacecraft.

Recently, on CNN GPS, with Fareed Zacharia’s interview with Charlie Bolden,  Fareed started off by saying a manned mission would be costly and challenging.   Charlie Bolden responded, “Because we have to.  We have to send humans somewhere if we want to find difficult answers.”

He goes on to talk about knowing whether  life exists  in our universe.   But unmanned missions can cover a much larger area and provide much more information.  This is why drones are used today.  Land rovers are a lot like drones.

Then he starts talking like Elon Musk, saying how we must evolve into a multi-planet species that will live on in perpetuity, while a single planet species will die out.

Sorry but the Mars settlement  idea is just wacko, because the people we send into space, either on a two-way or one-way trip  are in a cage, and what you see every day is dust.  Basic supplies will run out.   If earth goes, so will the few people on Mars with temperatures that will melt lead. That is the reality.

Being the first citizen of Mars is romantic, but one should spend about a year or two  in jail, to lose all notions of romance.

I fear we could lose an entire crew, on a science mission better done by land rovers.  I fear an enormous waste of money in a time where there is so much good we can do around the world.  The diversion of funds from worthwhile projects is likely to be enormous.

I am really an optimist, because I think there are fantastic opportunities for the US to explore new worlds,  be it in space exploration, bio-technology or the environment.   All the other ideas on CNN GPS were fantastic, particular the 3D printing of the human heart.   This is terrific bio-engineering  that the private sector and universities can participate in.  But it doesn’t grab headlines quite like a rocket shooting off in space.

I would rather the US find out how to fund Medicare for the next 30 years rather than spend billions on the  “New Dawn of Orion.” Lower your objectives  and start looking to get answers with a reasonable budget without a real risk  risk to human lives, Mr.  Bolden.

Stay tuned,

David Lord