"Paul F. Dietz" wrote:

:Fred J. McCall wrote:
:
: :Nonsense. Many many things have become affordable because
: f advances not specifically directed at those things.
:
: If you think it's nonsense, please tell us just what technologies you
: think are sufficiently 'dual use' to Mars flights and something else
: (and what that something else is) so as to drive down the costs of
: Mars flights.
:
:Launch, electronics, manufacturing, propulsion, electrical energy
roduction, and so on and so on.

Yet this doesn't seem to be happening with any great rapidity. Again,
compare the costs of half a century ago for going to the Moon with the
costs of repeating the trip now.

:The technologies involved in a Mars mission would have to be completely
:disconnected from the rest of the technosphere for Mars missions
:not to be helped by advances elsewhere.

Perhaps philosophically true, Paul, but again, THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO
BE HAPPENING.

I'm curious as to how you explain this apparent disconnect of reality
from your theory.

--
"Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute."
-- Charles Pinckney