RE: Moon is part of Mars
June 9, 2019 at 10:23 pm
(This post was last modified: June 9, 2019 at 10:26 pm by Anomalocaris.)
I think the spin-off technology argument is spurious. If the spun off technology was worth the cost of going to mars, then even more spun off technology can be realized for the same cost by doing the same R&D as before, but then dispensing with the cost of actually going to mars and devoting the funds freed up to do further R&D. In that case the technology to investment ratio would be even more favorable.
Going to mars can only be soundly justified if going to mars is a sufficiently desirable goal in itself to justify the investment.
The spin off technology argument was used to justify Apollo landing. But the real justification for the cost was really a way to do more R&D for the defense department without any apparent and prohibitive increase in the defense budget.
Going to mars can only be soundly justified if going to mars is a sufficiently desirable goal in itself to justify the investment.
The spin off technology argument was used to justify Apollo landing. But the real justification for the cost was really a way to do more R&D for the defense department without any apparent and prohibitive increase in the defense budget.
