Topic of Conversation: During June of 1997: Steve Wall, the Advanced Projects De
ID: 294094 • Letter: T
Question
Topic of Conversation:
During June of 1997: Steve Wall, the Advanced Projects Design Team Leader at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, estimated that a human mission to Mars could be done for half price when compared to the expenses related to getting to a manned on the moon and back to Earth. A half price sale seems like a bargain! But, is the anticipated 30-40 billion dollars to get a human to Mars and back worth it?
Considering that the costs associated with getting humans to the moon in the 60’s and 70’s was about 70 billion dollars (according to S.Wall) when adjustments for inflation are made. This puts our modern space exploration missions (the ISS and Mars) at rock bottom prices…..right?
Not all missions are so affordably priced: According to a Washing Post article in 2014 , the International Space Station has cost about 160 billion and requires 3 billion annually. NASA would like to keep the ISS operational until 2024.
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I am not asking you to answer the above. I just need to write two responses on each two questions by using the examples of well rooted questions down below. It should be no more than four sentences for each. Please read the instructions. Very esay and simple!
Responding to Peers: Please be certain to read and comment on two other classmates' posts. Your comments should include well rooted questions (examples below). Note: Brief responses like “I agree” or “I disagree” will receive no credit.
- Why are you saying that?
- What exactly does this mean?
- Can you give me an example?
- How did you choose those assumptions?
- How can you verify or disprove that assumption?
- What would happen if …?
- How do you know this?
- Can you give me an example?
- Then what would happen?
- What are the consequences of that assumption?
First question:
The topic of sending people to mars amazes me because we have a perfectly good planet right where we are. Even if Mars did once hold life or water there is no real need to send anyone but astronauts there. However, if we do not treat our planet well we may have no other option. But, I do believe we still have the time and knowledge to save our planet and make it last to its full potential. The cost alone is enough to deter me away from the thought of going to mars.
While it is important to maintain a space station and to be updated on the status of our planet and what is around us in the solar system, I am not sure if spending that amount of money on it is necessary. We have traveled to the moon, we know what it is about. Maybe we are not meant to be able to travel too far to other planets or solar systems.
Second question:
It doesn't come cheap to launch spacecraft and it is hard to calculate the accurate price tag. We have the technology and design to build this big project but will it be worth it spending that much of fund? I know that each country are competing against each other and to be successful in the mission. The plan to send a lander on the planet to scoop up Martian soil and discovery more about the planet as well as doing research. I believe that it will be worth it because we learn valuable lessons that will allow us to push space exploration beyond low-earth orbit. To find new solutions that will help maintain with supply and environment. We could even find new creature on the planet.
Explanation / Answer
Question 1- Thinking of settlement on Mars is not a good idea, because the huge amount of money,time, labour and resources needed to do this can be and should be used for making our planet more habitable and robust. Establishment of space station is rather a good idea. A space station on mars can be very beneficial to us. It can be used for monitoring Earth from outside and changes in the earth.
Question 2. Investing such huge amount of money and resources is a game of chance and probability. It may be successful and may be worthless. But the point is we have so many things pending that should be done first to make earth more robust and able to sustain increasing population. Mars missions are good, but we have to make our priorities clear. There are many aspects of Mars mission which will surely help the mankind but the point is we are presently not in a situation that we should look for another world when our own world needs efforts now.