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No, providing that we do not have an extinction event we will colonize the Solar System, including Mars. We have the technology to accomplish the mission, what we do not have is the infrastructure to support such a mission.

Our commercial business models have built in planned obsolescence so everything must be custom built. With new products come new problems. A mission into space, Mars, cannot afford built in product fatigue, the technology must be trustworthy and easy to maintain in isolated environments. So while the technology is available for shielding, propulsion, environment and guidance, dependable products are not.

Methods need to be adapted and applied to support long distance, isolated travel. The human species has not experienced such isolation in at least a century - but they have in the past. Explorers have not been able to "phone home" on many occasions, in fact that those travelling to Mars would be able to with a time delay is actually a rather new experience.

It would be more advantageous to establish a sustainable infrastructure in near space (Earth Moon) from which to explore the rest of the solar system. The methods and technology tested, procedures established. With an established foothold private enterprise can then start taking some of the load off of the institutions executing exploratory initiatives.

With enough cash outlay, a trip to Mars can be made feasible. Can we afford it ? The leadership of this country got lost in their greed and crony-ism, rather than looking to the future they took us back to the past. They attempted to execute 19th century methods in the 20th century. Reestablish an era of global empire, war profiteering (foreign), conflict profiteering (domestic), dependence on antiquated, unsustainable energy sources. This did not work, though some of the "war" technology will come in handy in protecting future space initiatives. The question could be asked where would we be if the world had been unified by the 2001 incident and focus been given to peaceful initiatives such as space, renewable resources and expansion into the oceans ? I believe that human space travel to the planet Mars could have been done by this time, but given the state of the world I seriously doubt that we will be in such a position in another several decades. There are now some serious social issues that need to be addressed, a world in disarray.

http://www.bigelowaer ospace.com/

http://science.nasa .gov/headlines/y2000/ast04oct_ 1.htm

http://science.nasa.gov/h eadlines/y2005/24jun_electrost atics.htm

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