Comments on: To the Moon, Alice! To the Moon! http://www.parabolicarc.com/2008/07/13/to-the-moon-alice-to-the-moon/ If it goes to space, you can find it here. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:10:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Doug http://www.parabolicarc.com/2008/07/13/to-the-moon-alice-to-the-moon/#comment-63 Doug Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:14:03 +0000 http://www.parabolicarc.com/?p=1731#comment-63 I agree. This is a pretty goofy idea. I'm not sure why the Washington Post published it. I agree. This is a pretty goofy idea. I’m not sure why the Washington Post published it.

]]> By: Nickolai_the_Russian_guy http://www.parabolicarc.com/2008/07/13/to-the-moon-alice-to-the-moon/#comment-60 Nickolai_the_Russian_guy Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:28:27 +0000 http://www.parabolicarc.com/?p=1731#comment-60 I'm not sure that it's as simple as strapping on a rocket and sending the craft to another planet. The moon maybe, because it's close, but to get to Mars in any reasonable amount of time you need a lot of speed, which entails a lot of fuel which is why we've only sent some small satellites and probes that way, let alone a 400-ton craft. Another problem with going to Mars is the solar radiation. Any manned mars mission needs a component hardened against radiation (this is probably the easiest problem to solve, since we can just build one and attach.... the beauty of modular structures!) The nail in the coffin here, however, is that the ISS is not "already an interplanetary spacecraft," not even potentially. It has no long-term medical facilities and relies on constant resupply from Earth for food and spare parts. It's a station designed for LEO, you can't just send it to mars. I’m not sure that it’s as simple as strapping on a rocket and sending the craft to another planet. The moon maybe, because it’s close, but to get to Mars in any reasonable amount of time you need a lot of speed, which entails a lot of fuel which is why we’ve only sent some small satellites and probes that way, let alone a 400-ton craft.

Another problem with going to Mars is the solar radiation. Any manned mars mission needs a component hardened against radiation (this is probably the easiest problem to solve, since we can just build one and attach…. the beauty of modular structures!)

The nail in the coffin here, however, is that the ISS is not “already an interplanetary spacecraft,” not even potentially. It has no long-term medical facilities and relies on constant resupply from Earth for food and spare parts. It’s a station designed for LEO, you can’t just send it to mars.

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