Hidden Nook
"Because in Cyberspace, no one can hear you scream."
Friday, March 04, 2005
Cocky Europe (Space Race)
[Media Source*] (Hat Tip: Mars Today)
Photo from Mars Today
"The European Space Agency will be the first space agency to reach all planets in the inner solar system." That was the assurance of Piero Messina, speaking for ESA's Aurora Exploration Programme at the last Earth & Space Expo lunchtime seminar in Brussels.
Funny, last I checked only Americans have landed on the moon. And I doubt that Europe has the resources to get their as their greatest economic power Germany isn't doing to well.
I have greater confidence that Japan will beat the U.S. as they have a strong economy as well as the desire to establish a moon base in twenty years or less. But despite Europe's success with the Cassini-Huygens as well as the Mars Express, "earthly problems" seem to keep them down.
The Aurora Programme planned to land humans on Mars by 2033, but Earth-bound politics since 2003 have already altered that timescale. The space station that has only just begun to be assembled should have been completed by now, so human footprints in the dust of Mars are further away than ever.
Maybe we will see Europe launching men (and women) into space in the near future. It would be smart for them to focus on the moon first (Mars is kinda far away right now). My wager is that Japan will be the first to accomplish a Mars mission as they seem pretty unhappy that China is leading on the Asia front. Selah!
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By Darnell Clayton ⢠4:21 PM ⢠Email Post ⢠â¢
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