Cost of the Perseverance Mars trip.

[Oldhippy]

I too have read that somewhere.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you want to whittle at money being wasted then may I interest Sir in HS2?Its recokoned that phase 1 and 2 will cost £150 Billion, and that figure has already been revised upwards many times to that level.

£150 billion and trains will still be late and not even get off this planet.

 

[matticus]

Years ago, on another forum (far, far away) I saw a scientist make a very convincing case. His post was littered with facts and figures which I obviously can't recall but the gist of it was:

All of humanity currently exists on one lump of rock. That lump of rock will be hit by a "dinosaur killer" asteroid at some point. No ifs or buts, it's just a matter of time. If we are all still here, our species ends. To ensure the survival of our species (one of the most primal instincts), we have to expand beyond this planet.

However, there is a window of opportunity. At the rate we currently consume resources, the materials needed to construct vessels capable of carrying us off the planet will not exist within 100 years or so - barring some unobtanium solution. On top of that there is always the possibility of catastrophic wars setting us back.

So, we either do it now or it will be too late and our species will be doomed.

Bloody hell.
Sounds like we should be inventing this "Unobtanium" PDQ (and scrap HS2 if necessary!)

 

[Drago]

£150 billion and trains will still be late and not even get off this planet.

And the green transport solution that is HS2 will take over a century to offset the carbon released into the environment during its construction.

 

[rualexander]

However, there is a window of opportunity. At the rate we currently consume resources, the materials needed to construct vessels capable of carrying us off the planet will not exist within 100 years or so - barring some unobtanium solution.

Any source for this information?

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Any source for this information?

No, sorry

 

[Deleted member 26715]

£150 billion and trains will still be late and not even get off this planet.

Or go where is actually needed

 

[Oldhippy]

Whilst expensive the knowledge and invention off of the back of the project will offset the initial cost I suspect. I do wish they would have the same eagerness to explore the oceans (humanely) as I think there is a huge amount to learn there too.

 

[fossyant]

Looking at the other thread running on this.
Let me say.......I am not knocking it, its an interesting thread so will not hijack it.......BUT
$2.7 BILLION is a staggering cost.
My opinion this......not suggesting I am automatically right but I feel the money could be better spent down here on planet earth.
I have always questioned WHY they spend vast fortunes on space exploration. How has mankind benefitted from any of it?
Quite happy to be proven wrong with facts though (aside from inventing Teflon etc).

That's probably less than Boris has spent giving contracts to his mates.

 

[MichaelW2]

Money must be piling up on Mars. What do they do with it there. It may be profitable to send a mission to Mars to return all of this money.

 

[Fnaar]

Every time my omelette doesn't stick to the pan* I thank our intrepid space-explorers **

*I know this isn't true, but I believed it for years
** I'm supportive of space-exploration. Though i am not in any way a scientist, I find the science around it all fascinating.
*** I love jokes about Uranus

 

[BoldonLad]

No doubt there were similar comments when the first caveman (sorry, caveperson), lit a fire, built a house etc etc

 

[matticus]

Whilst expensive the knowledge and invention off of the back of the project will offset the initial cost I suspect. I do wish they would have the same eagerness to explore the oceans (humanely) as I think there is a huge amount to learn there too.

There is extensive work looking at oceans. I believe a new constellation of satellites was just completed for measuring the surface. And there are many less glamorous projects on (and under!) ships.

Of course planetary missions get more coverage.

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

We have to keep looking outwards and developing our space related technologies as eventually this planet will be full, or unable to sustain life.

The human race is too selfish and short sighted to control our population levels or usage of the planet’s resources.

 

[winjim]

We'd have to be going some to wipe out all life on this planet. All human life, maybe. Mammalian life, sure. Animal life, possibly. But extinction drives evolution and something would develop to fill the niche. The dinosaur killer asteroid mentioned upthread allowed mammalian life to evolve and lead to the existence of humans. We're not that special.