Mars Mission - Beagle prototype unveiled

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 10:41

Im watching this on BBC right now, im gonna post a link later.

Since the last mission was a failure, aint we rushing back into it now? Even though it wont be lauched until 2011?

Even if we managed to get there, other than the excitement of knowing that life does/does not exist, is there any benefit?

Bearing in mind, this project is estimated in millons and if it goes the same way as the first mission wont this be waste of money? Why dont we just work with the americans instead of going it alone? (i think it is being done solely as a UK project)

Anyway what do you guys think?

Berserker · 12 Jun 2006 at 10:42

I think they won't make the same mistake with the parachute as they made last time. It was looking a bit dodgy from the start.

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 10:44

Berserker said:
I think they won't make the same mistake with the parachute as they made last time. It was looking a bit dodgy from the start.

The principle sounds excellent on paper - iirc pressure sensitive equipment are suppose to deploy the 'chute.. :confused:

Rebel=UK= · 12 Jun 2006 at 10:45

ElRazur said:
Why dont we just work with the americans instead of going it alone? (i think it is being done solely as a UK project)

Anyway what do you guys think?

Why so the Americans can take all the glory if anything is found..i think we should go it alone.

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 10:58

Rebel=UK= said:
Why so the Americans can take all the glory if anything is found..i think we should go it alone.

What is the fixation on this forum with comment like that about america?? I am not an american and i dont support all of their ideas etc but if someone is good at something, it aint hard for me to say so and accept it.

America has been conquering space for a long time and i think im right to say, they are way up there if not the leaders in space exploration. The last time we tried we failed, why waste millions of money again? If you ask me, i will prefer we do it alongside with them and NOT waste millions of pounds.

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:26

Ok....so no interest in something british then?

Rebel=UK= · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:29

Well we dont want to keep relying on another country to do things for us, you dont know what the relationship between the two countrys will be like in the future.

aardvark · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:30

i think its always a good idea to pour money into difficult high tech projects like this - a lot of the technology we have today is due to the space race 30/40 years ago.

S@njay · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:31

ElRazur said:
Ok....so no interest in something british then?

Countries are irrelevant when talking about space.

Should be a world poject imo, even as a world, we are insignificant compared to the universe, so why split it up furthermore?

turkey73 · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:31

ElRazur said:
The last time we tried we failed, why waste millions of money again? If you ask me, i will prefer we do it alongside with them and NOT waste millions of pounds.

We have wasted millions on the millenium dome, I am happier to waste millions in space exploration rather than a blot on the landscape...

Rebel=UK= · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:32

Nah thats how technology gets better with differnt countries doin they own things.

AJUK · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:32

I think it is a great idea except they should make sure that idiot Pillinger isn't allowed withing 100ft of it.

I wouldn't mess around with sending a probe, I would go for a full blown manned mission, that would certainly make people take notice. Another probe....pfft! The Union Jack on Mars.....W00T!!!

We can use the 8 billion quid that Brown is wasting on foreign aid for a starter, that should get us most of the way there.

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:34

Rebel=UK= said:
Well we dont want to keep relying on another country to do things for us, you dont know what the relationship between the two countrys will be like in the future.

I dont see how that works.....Uk and Us are staunch (sp?) allies. Even if we team up with them for the mission and everything goes wrong btw the uk and Us after, i dont see how that affects that particular project. Maybe i am missing the point here.

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:37

AJUK said:
I wouldn't mess around with sending a probe, I would go for a full blown manned mission, that would certainly make people take notice. Another probe....pfft! The Union Jack on Mars.....W00T!!!

We can use the 8 billion quid that Brown is wasting on foreign aid for a starter, that should get us most of the way there.

Hmm, i dont know about the full manned mission...Imagine if the failed one was a manned mission? i think the probe is a good idea as it give an insight to what astronauts would encounter when/if a real misssion is planned.

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:46

turkey73 said:
We have wasted millions on the millenium dome, I am happier to waste millions in space exploration rather than a blot on the landscape...

I see your point but the millenium dome wasnt a waste as such, it is a remarkable feature on the landscape but it was on the wrong part of the country.....my opinion off course.

Dutch Guy · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:55

S@njay said:
Countries are irrelevant when talking about space.

Should be a world poject imo, even as a world, we are insignificant compared to the universe, so why split it up furthermore?

I definately agree, this is of global interest.

Are they planning on doing other stuff on Mars?

AJUK · 12 Jun 2006 at 11:55

ElRazur said:
Hmm, i dont know about the full manned mission...Imagine if the failed one was a manned mission? i think the probe is a good idea as it give an insight to what astronauts would encounter when/if a real misssion is planned.

Now, you see, that's loser talk. Where is your sense of adventure, the drive to suceed, push the boundaries and expand new frontiers. The Americans didn't even consider failure when the went to the Moon, if they had they wouldn't have tried; yes, men died, but everytime a young child looks at the moon, wonders and strives to achieve even half of what those men did their sacrifice is honoured.

The only failure is not to try.

ElRazur · 12 Jun 2006 at 12:03

AJUK said:
Now, you see, that's loser talk. Where is your sense of adventure, the drive to suceed, push the boundaries and expand new frontiers. The Americans didn't even consider failure when the went to the Moon, if they had they wouldn't have tried; yes, men died, but everytime a young child looks at the moon, wonders and strives to achieve even half of what those men did their sacrifice is honoured.

The only failure is not to try.

I see what you mean, but i think i am approaching thing cautiously and viewing all possible outcomes - Calculative risk.

When it comes to space exploration, we havent devoted much time and money like the US hence being able to pull off things like that. The last falied project had some sort of financial problem iirc, this will mean cutting corners at some stage etc This could be part of the reason for failure...
If we spend more money on research like the US then failure is not an option, until then i will use a cautious approach.

Dutch Guy · 12 Jun 2006 at 12:12

ElRazur said:
I see what you mean, but i think i am approaching thing cautiously and viewing all possible outcomes - Calculative risk.

I guess there are people willing to take the risk just to be one of the few people to have walked on Mars.

Overlag · 12 Jun 2006 at 12:51

ElRazur said:
Ok....so no interest in something british then?

not really, space should be a human race thing..... ALL of us, black, white and all genders.... It shouldnt be about country vs country.