Russia says it is ahead in race to put man on Mars

Russia says it is ahead in race to put man on Mars

www.breitbart.com

Russia is leading the race to complete a manned mission to Mars and could land a Russian on the Red Planet by 2025, a leading scientist was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
"We have something of a head start in this race as we have the most experience in piloted space flight," the director of the prestigious Space Research Institute, Lev Zelyony, told Interfax news agency on Tuesday.
The goal of becoming the first country to land a human on Mars is "technically and economically achievable" by 2025

(visit the link for the full news article)

So the country that didn't leave LEO is now saying they're ahead of us? I understand we aren't due to get back to the moon until 2020 and Mars until 2035, but a 10 year jump WITHOUT getting to our moon seems crazy.

www.breitbart.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Here are some more links that are helpful.
www.godlikeproductions.com...
www.interfax.ru...

[yeah they might get there first but will they be able to come back or will it be like that poor dog in sputnik 2 one way

Doesnt matter who gets there, it should never be about showing off. Just get there!

I'd volunteer for a one way trip to Mars. Why not, I don't have the usual hang-ups that would prevent most from going, and I'm sure there are many more like me. It may not be a glorious existence, you know just compiling data and transmitting back to earth, but you would be a hero and go down in History as the first person on Mars. Just because they never went to the moon doesn't really mean jack though, maybe after the US won the race, they decided it was not worth it and backed off, but it doesn't mean they couldn't have done it.

Lets get an official race going because I want to see humans on Mars in my life. My moneys on the U.S though, can't lose face to the ruskies by letting them beat you to Mars.

I agree Kronik - sign me up now.
And 3-Libras - yes, forget showboating, lets just get there.
I think it should be a international venture, instead of an us versus them mindset. It worked in the 60's, but times are different. We have so much to gain just getting there it would be a shame if we bicker about it and never get there.
I just hope whoever we send does better than the monkeys and dogs we sent at the start of the "Space Race".
I know it doesn't mean anything that they didn't get to the moon, and we did (did we? LOL) but lot of useful information was learned because of the voyage. We have a head start, now bring everyone in, share the cost and get me to my summer home on Olypus Mons.

I think the russians have gone back in time somewhat, with their recent political posturing - and I think this statement is more of the same.

This should not be about politics, it should be about the advancement of humankind as a whole, rather than the playground puerility of nations seeking to compete, and as such, it should be a joint venture between all developed nations.

NO! China will beat us both coming out of nowhere..2 days before we decide to make it a joint mission!

Ok maybe not. But either way I sure hope someone makes it in an "official" capacity. I would volunteer also. Lets just get a list of people and send it to NASA and tell them we are ready to rock!

I don't think the Chinese are all that interested in Mars, the focus of their manned program seems to be Lunar, specifically the possibility of Helium 3 mining.

And the Russians probably are in a position to get to Mars before us.

Their economic crisis is a thing of the past, and they have a reliable and relatively inexpensive manned launch program. Ares/Orion, meanwhile, is still in the design stage.

They also have more experience working in orbit than anyone, including the US.

And last, but perhaps most important: one advantage of Putin's rather authoritarian leadership style is that unlike Congress, the Duma is unlikely to gut the funding for such a mission if Putin calls for it.

Here in the US, Congress would much rather fund bridges to nowhere or bombing campaigns against disobedient brown people than explore the Solar System

Hell, for the price of the Iraq War we could have probably built a permanent manned base on Mars.

I personally don't think Mars should be our focus though.
While it's a great place for scientific research, we should be working on practical applications that would make manned space-exploration profitable and self-sustaining.

We should go to the asteroids first.

Xmotex is correct about the Chinese. They want the moon and the Helium-3. As for the Russian economic crisis - from what I understand of economics, they are still in bad shape - they are not able to keep their ISS responsibilities staffing and moneywise. Could they leapfrog us and get there first, yes they could. They have enough brilliant minds over there to get it done and engineered properly.
Yeah, no war for the US would be a TON of free cash to drop on Scientific and Social endevours. Congress with their Pork Belly projects would get a chunk of it though.
You have peeked my curiosity though. In Popular Science recently they spoke of a NASA mission to an Asteroid using the new Lunar Lander and the Ares Lift Vehicles. Which asteroid would you go for? One past Mars in the asteroid belt?

Well I was gonna leave it a mystery but obviously my joke was not so obvious. I was making a reference to the book/movie "2010" by Arthur C. Clarke.

If you are not familiar, I highly suggest you read 2001 and 2010, and anything else by A.C.C.. He is fantastic author in my opinion.

I read the source paper in Russian to get a better feel for what they meant. In short, I wouldn't put too much stock in these statements. They are extremely generic and were designed to have a broad appeal. Russia today is lacking the resolve to put aside various interests of criminal clans running the land, and mobilize itself to achieve the manned flight to Mars.

Originally posted by buddhasystemRussia today is lacking the resolve to put aside various interests of criminal clans running the land, and mobilize itself to achieve the manned flight to Mars.

Not only that, but so what if they do make it to Mars first? Who cares? The U.S. got a little P.R. mileage during the Cold War when they made it to the Moon first, but what did it ultimately get them? Nuthin'.

It's not like they're going to stake it out and claim it for their own. And even if they did, what ultimate difference would it make? They can have the whole stinking planet for all anyone cares. What's anybody going to do about it? Send soldiers to fight over it? That would be particularly pointless.

So, if they make it to Mars first, good for them. Good luck. Personally, I think the first few people to try to make it there are probably going to end up dead, no matter which country sends them.

Nohup - thats amazingly negative. The whole point of manned Spaceflight is hope for the future and man's never ending sense of adventure.
Yes, we stink here on Earth, run by the corrupt and too ignorant to put aside small differences for the betterment of the planet and humans.

They will probably put a stake on it and claim its theirs. Just like they tried to do at the north pole under sea and failed. I'm the big bad Russia bear hear me meow. Russia is always good for a laugh. They have no shuttle yet that did not almost burn up on re-entry. The one that is now a museum piece. I guess they will try to go with that little atlas type capsule that they are always using.

Some people really need to lay off the 'canned jingoism' supplies..
Seriously..

And so appropriate that the person pointing that out (and making me learn a new word) has the name Daedalus. Daedalus was the name of the Space Shuttle in the movie Space Cowboys that was sent up to repair a Russian (old USSR) satellite that had nukes on board.

China and Japan will be the future space people.
Quite ironic, the white anglo man has been the face on earth for some time now...

but in space? we'll be a asian race!
)

As for Russia?

I get a strange feeling in my stomach they are trying to kick us in the ribs here, and put a fire up our .... pride!

''' cant let them DAMN ruskies beat us..... lets pour billions onto a manned space mission to mars ( which would fail the first attempt ) ultimately, costing us money ( we are quickly runnign out of ) and dampening the western image that '' we are indeed the rulers of earth ''


The ruskies want us to waste our time, and diminishing dignity!

Agit8dChop - In terms of the future space people, the Chinese and Japanese have alittle catching up to do (in terms of having a heavy lift vehicle - NASA burned the plans for the Atlas V, but the Ares is well on its way, and other probes to obtain information on Mars, Moon, etc - even though its available online and in Journals).
I hope the future space people will be Humans and not specific races. We may need the diversity of our DNA.
And for the Ruskies master plan here - we are currently dumping billions into a war machine and are about 30 years away from Mars at current estimates. If they can get there first, ok...but as the earlier post said, I hope they don't end up like the dog from Sputnik 2.