The future of space exploration - a dissenting view?

The IMAX documentary "Destiny in Space" concludes with the usual
upbeat but vague anticipation of mankind's inevitable and open-ended
journeying into space.

Space is the new frontier, the final frontier, and the past being the
key to future, we will conquer and colonise this one as we have all
others. And it's not just presenters in puffy docos; serious
scientists working in the field seem to be equally susceptible.

This linear projection is simplistic and fallacious. A more accurate
model is one with asymptotes or nearly so. These limits are set both
by the laws of physics and the practical constraints of culture,
politics, people, resources and priorities.

The rate of progress of spaceflight since the moon missions and Viking
plots a nonlinear trend suggestive of a real upper limit, or at least
rapidly diminishing returns. The speed of light is the obvious limit
in terms of physically exploring the universe. The complexity, energy,
and cost in reliably and safely giving an earth-based payload escape
velocity remains an intrinsic challenge that cannot be technologically
short-circuited.

A woman on Mars must be several orders of magnitude more difficult
than a man on the moon.

I marvel at the continuing progress made in astronomy and cosmology,
and even in missions within our solar system. As an engineer I
appreciate that "impossible" goals can be achieved with a can-do
approach. And besides, perhaps defining absolute boundaries of what we
can ever achieve in space is moot. Maybe we just keep going until we
can go no further. All power to that. Just spare us the unbounded,
unfounded starry-eyed twaddle and hubris along the way.

Mark

We have to remember that Star Trek revolves around two pieces of total
fiction: warp speed and the teleporter.

We have to remember that Star Trek revolves around two pieces of total
fiction: warp speed and the teleporter.

We have to remember that Star Trek revolves around two pieces of total
fiction: warp speed and the teleporter.

We have to remember that Star Trek revolves around two pieces of total
fiction: warp speed and the teleporter.

A woman on Mars must be several orders of magnitude more difficult
than a man on the moon.

Especially when you consider that she has to start out from Venus.

;-)

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
************************************************** **********

A woman on Mars must be several orders of magnitude more difficult
than a man on the moon.

Especially when you consider that she has to start out from Venus.

;-)

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
************************************************** **********

A woman on Mars must be several orders of magnitude more difficult
than a man on the moon.

Especially when you consider that she has to start out from Venus.

;-)

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
************************************************** **********

A woman on Mars must be several orders of magnitude more difficult
than a man on the moon.

Especially when you consider that she has to start out from Venus.

;-)

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
************************************************** **********

And why is that!?!?!?!


A woman on Mars must be several orders of magnitude more difficult
than a man on the moon.