Product: Race to Mars (2008)
Rating: 3.0
Completely misses the hardest part of going to Mars
Which of course is politics.The technology to go to Mars has existed since the 1970s. What no longer exists is the political will to do so.When I was a teenager growing up in the 1960s most everyone was "space happy". We all assumed permanent bases on the moon and a manned landing on Mars within 10 years.Today we have no U.S. manned space program, no way for us to get into space. Sure, decades from now there MAY be a robust private space-travel industry. But that is a long time. In the interim, space will be owned by Russia and China.When John F. Kennedy pledged to go to the moon, he meant it. He had an intense personal commitment to the enterprise. He delivered speeches remembered to this day. He dedicated astronomical sums to make it happen.What should our space program be like? Search the Internet for "Man conquers space" and watch the trailers.