Water on Mars

[Woody]

It is official ....

There is water on Mars. It has been collected and examined and confirmed. The scientist said it had been 'tasted'.

What are the spiritual implications of this?

With this exciting news ... do you think we will land a human on Mars?

[Dr. Shane]

From what I understand, radiation prevents us from getting humans outside of the earth's magnetic field. We have to figure out how to build a spaceship to protect the astronauts from radiation before we can even stay on the moon very long.

Surviving Space: Risks to Humans on the Moon and Mars

Quote:

Someone walking on the Moon, even in a fancy space suit, would be good as naked in the face of the Sun's worst fury.

"If one were exposed to the full brunt of a solar event, that could cause acute effects in the very short term," Zeitlin explained in a telephone interview. "Quite severe illness" could result. NASA says the radiation sickness from a solar flare could kill an unprotected astronaut.

Cosmic rays, the other big space-particle worry, come from undetermined galactic sources and pose a greater long-term risk for cancer, cataracts and other illness, Zeitlin said. Cosmic ray particles are more energetic than their solar cousins.

"These are atomic nuclei stripped of electrons," he explained. "They're able to penetrate many centimeters of solid matter."

[lazarus]

I'm suprised at the coverage about this. I expected this to be really, really big news. I seems the coverage has been muted. Anyone know why?

[Woody]

Laz ... I think the reason is that they had already hinted that there was water. When the proof came it was anticlimatic. Old News.

[Neil D]

....but the ramifications are huge.....

Surely, the news agencys can see that??? It's a money making proposition....