Remember that annoying thread a while back that talked about America planning to build a Moon Base in the 2030's...

Turns out Russia is getting in on the act as well, thanks to a little "diplomaitc incident"...

The Russian space program outlines its plans for the moon and Mars

The head of the Russian Federal Space Agency announced plans to launch a manned mission to the moon by 2025 and a permanent lunar base by 2032.

"According to our estimates, we will be ready for a manned flight to the moon in 2025," said Anatoly Perminov. He further believes an "inhabited station" could be built on the moon between 2027 and 2032.

Russia originally planned to partner with NASA for a joint moon mission, but the U.S. government shunned the proposal. After finishing the Russian portion of the International Space Station within the next 10 years, Russia will then shift focus towards modernizing the Soyuz so it can head to the moon.

Russia has a general outline for the space program until 2040, although financial resources must now be properly calculated.

Other nations have publicly announced plans to launch manned missions to the moon in the next 20 years. Aside from NASA and Russia, both China and Japan have plans to launch astronauts to the moon by 2022 and 2030. A manned lunar base could be used as an ideal stepping stone for manned launches to the Red Planet of Mars.

The Russian space program and European Space Agency (ESA) are working together to simulate manned missions to the Red Planet - six chosen volunteers will be moved to a sealed capsule to help researchers study what effects the human body will go through over the journey to Mars.

Financial and logistical issues face all nations that have optimistic plans to one day be able to launch manned missions to Mars. After appropriate spacecraft and supplies are built and acquired, the long journey and rough environment of Mars pose interesting challenges to engineers.

...We're going to fight a nuclear war over the Moon! How fun!

(Here's the annoying thread that talks about our reaction to the US' plan to build a moon base by 2020. (http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=173293))

What are they gonna claim.....that Mars/the Moon lie w/in their "airspace"? :D

I believe the PRc has plans for both those orbs as well. Anyone for a 3-way? ;) :rifle1: :fire2: :blaze6:

I believe that the moon is free game. I think all countries who have the resources to get into space and who have the money to make thier own base should be able to do it reguardless of what other countries may say.


...We're going to fight a nuclear war over the Moon! How fun!

I highly doubt it, the US and Russia are still not on the greatest of terms with each other but I highly doubt we'll go to war over something as trivial as that.;)

Anyway, neither the US nor Russia wants to see a nuclear holocaust in the near future. Both countries have expertise in neclear technology and they both know what it can do.

Yeah. Cold war for the moon is far more likely.

Actually, wouldn't be surprised to see the EU or Japan also take a stab at establishing a presence. The moon is big enough. Still, should be somwhat interesting to see how it plays itself out.

I find this "new" Cold War between Putin trying not to look like a lame duck, the people of Russia and Eastern Europe not knowing what they want, and the rest of the Western World running around going: "Is this guy for real?" To be hilariously stupid.

Not that I didn't approve of many of the good things the Cold War brought about, advances in technology, Americans actually WANTING to learn and putting value in education, but moreover it was just sad squabbling between adults acting like children.

So, for all it's upsides, I really don't care to see it happen again, especially over a worthless chunk of rock(theres some math out there explaining WHY the moon is worthless) that at best looks pretty at night and does cool stuff to the oceans.

I believe that the moon is free game. I think all countries who have the resources to get into space and who have the money to make thier own base should be able to do it reguardless of what other countries may say.
QFE.

These people are stupid … Why lose money with the moon and Mars when we can go and study a planet that it’s almost exactly as Planet Earth and where there is a possibility that the humans can live in that world … We are killing Planet Earth … we need a new home people… They should be making plans to study Gliese 581 c that’s only 20.4 light years away.

>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581_c)

These people are stupid … Why lose money with the moon and Mars when we can go and study a planet that it’s almost exactly as Planet Earth and where there is a possibility that the humans can live in that world … We are killing Planet Earth … we need a new home people… They should be making plans to study Gliese 581 c that’s only 20.4 light years away.


Because you need to take one step at a time and refine and improve your technology and knowledge along the way. You can't just grab lump of metal and a fist full of sand off the beach, go into your garage and craft it into an Intel Core 2 Duo processor in an afternoon without any tools. Technology evolves gradually, even if it tends to take extra leaps when there is strong motivation to do so (usually a war). :)

Currently they can just barely get people off the Earth. Leaving the solar system is a pretty big task under those circumstances. Expeditions to and settlements on the Moon and Mars would give valuable experience and technological advances needed to stage longer and more ambitious expeditions.

Only 20.4 light years away?!

Besides, thanks to the international community, we already got ourselves the ability to build Space Stations, so we can live there. We can meanwhile strip mine the Moon and Mars for resources while at the same time live life normally in these space stations. The reason we should worry about conquering dead planets is, well, they are dead. If we try to conquer a live planet, there might be alien races and then Greenpeace will object to us hurting animals and then we'll have some problems. But if we conquer a dead planet, all Greenpeace is going to say is that we're trashing a dead planet, and while I am aganist trashing any sort of planet, most people draw a distiniction between destroying a Live Planet and a Dead Planet, and are totally okay with destroying a dead one.

In case we'll ever trash whatever planet, I think when we have the first signs of a universal warming or climate change, we'll change that behaviour. :)

Also, I am not sure that, once we've put down a foot somewhere, even if it is only for a short time, we've not "infected" that place with life, due to microorganisms that came with us.

These people are stupid … Why lose money with the moon and Mars when we can go and study a planet that it’s almost exactly as Planet Earth and where there is a possibility that the humans can live in that world …
I actually believe Stoffe gave a really good response supporting why it is worth the expense. I just would like to add the technology that space exploration adds to life here on earth.
1. Light weight breathing systems (firefighters)
2. Optical lens technology. Technology used in vision research for NASA Astronauts now used to check the human eye for refractive errors and the cornea.
3. Global Positioning Satellites
4. Cordless Tools
5. Scratch Resistant Lenses
6. Anti-Corrosion Coatings
7. Foam Cushioning
8. Radian Barriers
9. And let’s not forget NASA most important contribution to life here on earth Tang (http://www.kraft.com/archives/brands/brands_tang.html)

As to the Russian heading to the moon, well by 2025 they will be 56 years late. The race to the moon is over and the American’s won. That said maybe the Russian’s will have a little better staying power then their American counterparts. I’d love to see a station on the moon be it American, Russian or any other country.