[FPSPACE] The Cult of Mars as a losing space strategy

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi - 

While our space press presents the views of the Cult Of Mars as being held internationally, is that really the case? Is there really any real public support in the ESA, Japan, or Russia, for actually spending any real money on sending men to Mars?

Looking at the UK, the last thing I remember was the small amount cobbled together for Beagle. While China's decision to add their own probe to Russia's GRUNT was widely reported as "China to Launch Mars Probe" by our usually biased space press here, in point of fact China was not launching anything, and their probe was to a moon of Mars, a moon widely estimated t be a captured asteroid. Japan has nothing in the works, nor India, nor anyone else except for ESA, which has announced unmanned probes. 

Further, an interesting aspect to ESA data releases is that they always describe what they find, which is that Mars is not Earth-like.

E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas












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