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James Oberg On Mars!



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 24th 09, 08:15 PM posted to sci.space.history,sci.space.policy
David Spain
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Default James Oberg On Mars!

Pat Flannery wrote:
The crew would find the whole thing very frustrating as Mars slowly
approaches...and then just as slowly withdraws again, with the long
voyage home again ahead of them

Look, but don't touch; the space exploration equivalent of a strip tease.


Pat,

Here's a good sci-fi angle for you. Say country X mounts a flyby mission.
Aboard are some 1-way surface probes, some are large enough to carry 1 human
if stripped of gear. Unknown to mission control, the patriotic/fanatical
crew decides to choose a volunteer among the group to go. Anyone can withdraw
from consideration. The rest choose straws. If you think about it, might not
be that huge a stretch. Think 'Space Cowboys' for example.

Flags, footprints and mausoleum, all rolled into one!

Dave

PS: So as a corollary, no person capable 1-way probes to be included on any flybys!
PPS: Maybe 'Defying Gravity' is getting to me!
  #2  
Old August 24th 09, 10:36 PM posted to sci.space.history,sci.space.policy
Pat Flannery
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Default James Oberg On Mars!

David Spain wrote:

Pat,

Here's a good sci-fi angle for you. Say country X mounts a flyby mission.
Aboard are some 1-way surface probes, some are large enough to carry 1
human
if stripped of gear. Unknown to mission control, the patriotic/fanatical
crew decides to choose a volunteer among the group to go. Anyone can
withdraw
from consideration. The rest choose straws. If you think about it, might
not
be that huge a stretch. Think 'Space Cowboys' for example.


Oh, don't bring that thing up... that's the one where the Russian bomb
platform is in imminent danger of orbital decay from its 1,000 mile high
orbit.


Flags, footprints and mausoleum, all rolled into one!


I'll volunteer!
And I'll slay the white personality-filled apes of Mars, and bang the
brass britches off of Dejah Thoris... I'll do that to her and the other
thing, not because she is easy, but because I am hard:
http://www.gwthomas.org/whiteapesofmars.htm

Pat Flannery Of Mars
  #3  
Old August 24th 09, 11:22 PM posted to sci.space.history,sci.space.policy
David Spain
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Posts: 2,901
Default James Oberg On Mars!

Pat Flannery wrote:
David Spain wrote:
Flags, footprints and mausoleum, all rolled into one!


I'll volunteer!
And I'll slay the white personality-filled apes of Mars, and bang the
brass britches off of Dejah Thoris... I'll do that to her and the other
thing, not because she is easy, but because I am hard:
http://www.gwthomas.org/whiteapesofmars.htm

Pat Flannery Of Mars


Pat Flannery suffering anoxia induced hallucinations on Mars.

Signed,
Dejah Rachael Maddow Vu Thoris
Air Plant Works, Helium, Mars 90210
(That zip code is no co-incidence...)

;-)



  #4  
Old August 25th 09, 09:32 AM posted to sci.space.history,sci.space.policy
Pat Flannery
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Posts: 18,465
Default James Oberg On Mars!

David Spain wrote:


Signed,
Dejah Rachael Maddow Vu Thoris
Air Plant Works, Helium, Mars 90210
(That zip code is no co-incidence...)


A friend of mine has told me that there is now a new name for men that
are attracted to lesbians...apparently, I am now a "Lesbro".
I actually did know a pair of lesbians back in college; they got into a
hell of a fistfight (and footfight... one had the other down on the
floor and was kicking her in the head) that I tried to stop...then both
of them started stomping my ass instead of each other's.
This was the price I paid to assure that true Sapphic love would not go
astray.
My way of stopping the fight was inspired to say the least... I broke
down in tears and asked them why they were fighting like that, and
beating the crap out of me. Assuming that I was gay, they then saw me as
a kindred spirit, and not as a completely straight crybaby like I really
was.
When you fully encompass Zen, your actions work in perfect harmony with
the situations you encounter...instinctively, rather than by thought.

Pat
  #5  
Old August 25th 09, 05:17 PM posted to sci.space.history,sci.space.policy
Eric Chomko[_2_]
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Posts: 2,853
Default James Oberg On Mars!

On Aug 25, 10:11*am, Anonymous Remailer wrote:
"David Spain" wrote in message

...



Pat Flannery wrote:
The crew would find the whole thing very frustrating as Mars slowly
approaches...and then just as slowly withdraws again, with the long
voyage home again ahead of them


Look, but don't touch; the space exploration equivalent of a strip

tease.

Pat,


Here's a good sci-fi angle for you. Say country X mounts a flyby mission.

  #6  
Old August 25th 09, 09:25 PM posted to sci.space.history,sci.space.policy
David Spain
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Posts: 2,901
Default James Oberg On Mars!

Anonymous Remailer wrote:
Stupid idea. Why would they include a one-way landing capsule if they
don't have the intention of using it?


Remailer AI still needs work I see. Where you read 'idea' I say 'story'
as in 'fiction' as in an idea made up to entertain.

If you'd actually read my post, you see that I was talking about 1-way
probes not 'capsules'. A 1-way surface probe would be *intended* to be
unmanned, but capable of performing an automated landing soft enough
to preserve whatever surface experiment was intended to be used. If the
'G' load was low enough at landing, and the probe large enough, perhaps a
space-suited human could replace the 'experiment' w/o mission control's
knowledge or consent.

No government is ever going to allow a one-way mission to Mars. Imagine
that if they did the person on Mars got second thoughts and would be
broadcasting pleas for rescue on a daily basis. That would be extremely
emberrasing for his national government. Eventually they'd have no
choice but to attempt get him back.


He (or she) would expire long before that could happen. In any improvised
scenario, likely only enough O2 to last a day or two, with comms limited
only to the flyby spacecraft.

No government would 'grant' permission for this, but no government
would be in a position to stop a crew that decided to do it. I suppose
they could arrest the surviving crew on return to Earth and charge them
all with manslaughter, or aiding and abetting a suicide of a national
hero, which many of those being charged also likely volunteered to be
but for the luck of the draw were not chosen.

Sure, like that would happen....

I can't think of any modern society that was puritanical enough not
to make a hero out of the crew mate who chose to be first on Mars for
their country.

Dave
 




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