Comments on: Space https://www.openforum.com.au/forums/space-our-new-featured-forum/ Open Forum offers an independent platform for Australian debate Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:24:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 By: Alan Stevenson https://www.openforum.com.au/forums/space-our-new-featured-forum/#comment-4963 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 06:24:56 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?post_type=forumpost&p=11667#comment-4963 The concept of exploration of space and the use we put to the near space around us (communication, GPS, telescopes, etc) is very exiting. I wonder what readers think of the idea put forward recently by the United States of having a space force? When the US initiated its space progran, the then president stated that this was a peaceful activity. The thought that we might have wars fought there was pure science fiction.

I accept that we have spy satelites orbiting the planet while at the same time reluctantly accepting that most of the people who have walked on the Moon were military personnel. Hopefully any landings on Mars will be achieved by qualified scientists instead of partially trained airforce personnel. India has shown that it has the right attitude to space exploration; the Chinese will almost certainly use their PLA people who appear to be more broadly based than those of the US but will carry a heavy political burden. To date, Europe does not appear to be particularly interested in a scientific team on another planet although a number of vaguely qualified civilians have already signed up to being part of a permanent base there.

Your thoughts on the eventual makeup of a manned expedition to Mars would be of interest.

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