I'm sure you're with me on this
Meaning, the reason we go to space is to explore, and for the wonder of it, to expand our horizons beyond ever before ..
That's why this sort of argument irritates me beyond measure:
Our planet being engulfed by our sun an therefore we have to leave the solar system before it's too late (that's a favorite theme in conferences and for children
For goodness, sakes: to use a catastrophe billions of years in the future as a reason to get us out of the LEO doldrums we're in NOW? .. That is such a silly and irrelevant motivation! It's just a way of paying respects to the apathy of the population at large - they won't listen to the REAL reasons for space exploration: the greatness and romance of human exploration - so we have to frighten them with far-far-future scenarios like solar novas, asteroid impacts, and so on!
That's dishonest, since our real problem is right NOW: how to get out of LEO, and go to the nearest planet, Mars. Even doing that would stretch humanity's resources and endurance to the absolute limit - which is the whole idea! .. but also means that talk of terraforming, colonization etc. is idiotic. We go to Mars to explore and extend our horizons, that's why. We are not a bacterial colony which wants to expand and 'colonize': we are human beings with passions and desires to explore. That's good enough reason.
BTW Raoul, I do think that's all Zubrin is really saying when he speaks of 'manifest destiny'. I am aware that this term has historical usage in the US, but it doesn't mean it's a malevolent term, Zubrin means it well: he knows his country has the possibility to reignite romantic passions for space exploration and that is really all he means. And I wish him all the very best, and think we really should try for his methods and his launch windows, if not in 2009, then as soon as possible thereafter.
Gee, at least try for SAMPLE RETURN in 2009 instead of just a bigger MER lowered to the surface on a rope!!
Regards,
Daniel