01-16-2004, 07:25 PM
If you make a massive shift if how you focus your resources I think you will have more technological adavances.
Right now we spend a huge amount of money and learn very little in the way of practiacable knowledge.
If we actually had to build completely new contraptions rather than just try to find cheaper ways of making robots on rocket, we might actually get a few useful by products.
But personally I am against it. Id rather waste all the money making astroid devices. Sure we probably wont need it, but it least it might be useful.
Also a key element in new technology is - time contraints and imperative. Historicallly these are key element to programs that create real change. I dont see this with a Mars mission.
Right now we spend a huge amount of money and learn very little in the way of practiacable knowledge.
If we actually had to build completely new contraptions rather than just try to find cheaper ways of making robots on rocket, we might actually get a few useful by products.
But personally I am against it. Id rather waste all the money making astroid devices. Sure we probably wont need it, but it least it might be useful.
Also a key element in new technology is - time contraints and imperative. Historicallly these are key element to programs that create real change. I dont see this with a Mars mission.