| Galdor the Great |
Has anyone read The Case for Mars by Robert Zubrin? This book shows the "correct" way of planning and implementing a manned mission to Mars. I won't go into detail of the specific technologies mentioned, mainly due to the fact that the book came out in the mid-90s and I'm not sure if the technology mentioned is any more or less feasible now than it was a decade ago.
Chapter 5: Killing the Dragons, Avoiding the Sirens talks about some of the current objections to a manned Mars mission. The hazards listed are Radiation, Zero Gravity, Human Factors, Dust Storms (on Mars), Back Contamination (if Martian life was to be found), and finally Zubrin explains why the missionto Mars doesn't require a build up of assets, or prequel missions, to the moon.
Zubrin's essays on these topics can be found by doing some internet searches for Robert Zubrin, Mars Direct, or by going to the Mars Society website.
I don't claim to have any relevant knowledge in any of these fields to support or deny the claims but Zubrin does make some valid points.
I strongly suggest that anyone interested in a manned mission to Mars check out his book.
EDIT: This post is copied from a post I made in another thread last year...