New Rocket Engine Could Reach Mars in 40 Days

The thought that we are one step closer to possibly colinizing anouther planet is amazing. I do agree that space exploration is much more important than funding wars, but i do have a few issues with the possible colinization ofmars and the moon.

The Moon-
1. The moon would be a prime strategic point for a country to threaten anouther. I know its kind of obvious, but its out there.
2. If the private sector ends up paying for these trips and colinizations, then a country itself has no stake, everything will be divided up between corporations, thus limiting those that can travel to or visit to those that have hefty pocket books.

Im not really that concerned with colonizing the moon. It is the most comprehensible place to start space colinization. It's in space, but close enough to home.

Mars-
1. Like the moon, it can not support life (our kind) without extensive networks of oxygen farms, water processing, and if there is extensive colinization terraforming.
2. The planet itself has no techtonic activity. Though we have no proof of wheather the planet is still volcanic, look at how we panic about Yellowstone blowing up. Olympus Mons (volcano) is the size of Arizona, If it were to blow, it would be pretty catastrophic.
3. Disease- There are things on that planet that we have no clue about. ( the moon also) We havent even explored our earth fully. If we are making trips back and forth between planets, there is a huge risk that the human race can be poisoned, with no way to fight off the unknown agent.

There needs to be more searching put into finding a planet that is more compatible to human life and thats just not in our solar system. The creation of these rockets is a great step in the right direction, getting us out there faster, we just need to watch where we are planting our flags and be ever vigulant.

Here is a peek at what the thrust will visually look like ..

This video is the plasma rocket in a test run.





[edit on 8-3-2010 by wiredamerican]