Europe aiming to put astronauts on Mars

[54anickel]

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994642

The European Space Agency has embarked on an ambitious space plan that includes sending astronauts to Mars in 2033.

The ultimate goal of sending people to Mars is similar to the initiative outlined by US President George W Bush in January, but ESA's programme, called Aurora, is far more detailed.

Aurora was first approved in principle in 2001, but details of the plan were presented to members of the British space industry on Tuesday in London. ESA's strategy is to take a step-by-step approach to developing the technologies required for a manned Mars mission.

The steps include creating a new vehicle that will re-enter Earth's atmosphere at high speeds by 2007, sending an orbiter and rover to Mars in 2009, and launching a two-stage mission to return samples from Mars in 2011 and 2014.

more...

[onehandle]

1. They'll beat us...

Our closed society and faltering economy will no longer support "bold ideas". Europe and Asia will be the dominate powers in the next few decades.

[pink_poodle]

2. HA!! So the US will not "own" Mars. LOL!!!!!!!!!! -nm

'

[Benhurst]

3. Best of luck to them. THEY can afford it. n/t

[GRClarkesq]

4. I'm not sure they can afford it either

Europe has an even larger problem with an aging population and too low of a birth rate. They have not dealth with this problem any more than the US. Budgets will get tighter.

[Benhurst]

8. You're probably right. NEITHER of us should do it then.

[Bamboo]

5. All the political science I don't understand,Its just my job 5 days a week

Since we have eliminated communism our next step is to eliminate socialism.The space race was about military dominance during the cold war,we could hit a bullseye ten times farther away than nuclear weapons needed to go and sent a message.Mars follows that formula of multiples,if the new high ground is space then mastery needs the alibi of "discovery".So in order to fight socialism we must control the high ground or at least bankrupt any competition,a proxy war of economies like the Olympics.We have a bloody proxy war with socialism now in Iraq but psychological operations are necessary.We have alot of science fiction to get the juices going so Europe will compensate with some sexy spys.

[Voice_of_Europe]

6. Apes are social

It's not that easy to eliminate socialism.
Most European countries are acutally socialistic.
Health care and money for retired people dates back for 50 years.

The obvious remedy for people getting older and older is just WORK LONGER if your health allows it.

This will regulate itself..

[Turley]

7. You must be kidding?

I don't know what corner of Europe you live in but I have no expectation whatsoever of cashing in any State pension from Germany. I fully expect it will be bust in 15 years. Taxes just keep going up and social benefits keep going down.

I suppose at some point it will regulate itself.....when it goes poof. You might want to consider funding your own retirement instead of relying on wishful thinking that "it will regulate itself". Unless you want to eat dog-food when you're old.

[KDLarsen]

11. I think some countries are trying to deal with it..

.. but it's meeting very resistance, especially from the unions. Here in Denmark, we've had a complete stop on rising taxes (hey, we have the highest taxes in the world, I guess we can stop now).

Because most European countries will have to start lowering their social services, in order to keep the taxes at level. and they will also need to start accepting immigrants, in order to keep the work force.

Unfortunantly, those who are close to retirement (ie. retiring at age 55-60, when retirement age is 65), make a fuss out of it, by claiming that they feel that they deserve the right to get a state pension, even though they have more than a million in the bank AND a pension plan in the bank. They're not really concerned about my generations wellfare, because they'll most likely be long gone when the taxes reaches through the 80% barrier. Which it will, unless something radical is done.

And that's what the liberal Danish government is trying to do at the moment. Though the opposition have already pledged to remove each and every cost saving measure, once they're re-elected.

[Vitruvius]

9. And -- unlike Bu$h -- the Europeans will actually put MONEY into it.

Bu$h's program is all talk, for re-(s)election purposes only; big new goals, no money to achieve them. Basically, Bu$h is killing the Hubble and killing the Shuttle, and replacing them with vuegraphs.

Unlike Bu$h, the Europeans are serious about this, and they will do it.

[KansDem]

10. What will they be called?

US calls its space travelers "Astronauts"
Russia calls its space travelers "Cosmonauts"

And Europe? "Euronauts?" Nah, that would suggest "one who travels the sea of Europe." How 'bout "Auroranauts?"

[CO Liberal]

12. Will They Accept Nominations????

I can think of a few right-wingers I'd like to send to The Red Planet......

:-)