Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Tell me Al...

Re: Tell me Don..
Al — (archived)

<To be blunt, Al, people who run around playing Mr. Spaceman in in canvas sapcesuits in the frozen desert of Antarctica don't impress me much. People who pretend that's actually serous scientific research impress me even less.

First of all, let's at least put the MS on the correct pole... They are in the Arctic, not Anarctica.

Next, I see both sides of the "Canvas Spacesuit" discussion. They do look a bit silly with their helmets (made from trash can lids) and canvas suits but not nearly as silly as they look wearing the suits and riding ATV's.. I doubt however that their goal is to impress Donald Krupp. Indeed, Barry is probably close to the truth when he states it is more about public opinion and funding... Do you see anything wrong with that?... If they learn something that may benefit future Mars Missions so much better. Lee must feel there is something to be learned there...

Don, we should go back to the Moon, but your silly attempt to tie it as a necessary prerequisite to a manned Mars Mission is silly.. It will eventually become a Mars-Pre Mission, not a Lunar Mission - not only will we unnecessarly boost the total cost of Mars, we will lose Lunar Science.

...exactly how many manned space missions has Robert Zubrin actually planned, funded, developed, launched and completed?

I'm really no Zubrin fan. I find him arrogant, pompus, loud mouthed, and egotistical. I also find him a brilliant engineer who has forever changed the way planners think about a Mars Mission... The entire NASA Reference Mission is based on his Mars Direct. NASA's previous best attempt was the SEI Plan at 450 Billion in 1989... I'm sure you liked it Don. $450 Billion was for 1 mission with a 2 week staytime on the surface of Mars.. Of course, the reason the price was so high was because every little group wanted to be involved (ie. SPACE STATION, MOON, etc, etc.).... Zubrin has show that to be totally unnecessary. And that, (along with ISPP) results in a much cheaper, faster, and better way of doing things...

I appriciate all the breakthroughs in planning a Manned Mars Mission Robert Zurbin. But I wish he would just go away now and hide in the backroom with his sliderule. His abrasive personality is, I suspect, losing the MS more supporters than it is gaining...

With Much Love,
Al

Al

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (63 posts)