Russia plans Mars nuclear station

The first extra-terrestrial nuclear power station will serve the permanent research camp which, Russian scientists believe, could be set up on Mars within the next 30 years.

Deputy chief engineer of Red Star - a state scientific company closely affiliated with Russia's Nuclear Energy Ministry - says the station will be constructed in the mountainous areas of Mars, possibly in one of the canyons.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3162129.stm


This was announced in August. Could this have prompted Bush's rush to the Moon? Or did this Bush administration's ambitions for nuclear space missions prompt this response from Russia?

Are we engaged in some sort of modern space race? Russians have already expressed interest in sharing the Moon/Mars missions but it is not clear whether we'll go that route. Especially since Russia shares everything with our supposed rival China. It's not clear how Russia would find the resources to go it alone. But I wouldn't underestimate their ability to find allies who would work against our aim to dominate military space.

Resistance to our colonialist agendas are evident in the rejection of our ambitions in Iraq by even the closest of our allies, as we reject all entreaties to moderate our manufactured mandate to conquer. Isolation is enveloping our nation like the warming of the atmosphere and the creeping melt of our planet's ancient glaciers.

We are unleashing a new, unnecessary fear between the nations of the world as we dissolve decades of firm understandings about an America power which was to be guileless in its unassailable defenses. The falseness of our diplomacy is revealed in our scramble for ‘usable', tactical nuclear missiles, new weapons systems, and our new justifications for their use.

A new cold war in space seems inevitable if we allow Bush to hide his ambitions for the militarization of the planets, the moons, and the heavens behind a seemingly benign program of space exploration.

Until he and his minions in NASA and the Pentagon are forced to level with the American people and the world about their true ambitions to dominate military space, we will further their deadly agendas with every seemingly benign mission we cheer for.

The Russians have never managed to successfully land an unmanned probe on Mars and now some there think they can build a nuclear power station there?!?

That BBC article reads like satire:

Scientists say that the station is now almost ready to be built - all they have to do is to find a way to protect staff and environment from radiation.

The only stumbling block is how to deliver ready-made building blocks to a construction site 300 million kilometres (186.4 million miles) away from Earth.

"Almost ready to be built" --- all they have to do is get it to Mars! :D

"Only stumbling block" --- getting to Mars! :D

:bounce:

Not to metion getting back, of course. :evilgrin:

--Peter

Russians aren't stupid, they are plenty well advanced enough to deal with the technical issues over 25 years if they had the resources to devote to it.

The Russians are now more capitalist than we are.

They let more private citizens into space than the US does.

If we have a military free Mars/Moon project then I believe we will honor the Russian's interest and bring them aboard. Indeed, in the future, NASA and others envision an international Mars effort.

However, the manner in which this administration has intermingled their Mars/Moon missions with military objectives will undoubtedly alienate perceived rivals like China, and by extension, Russia.

Russia will likely align with China in an adversarial atmosphere. I fear that this administration will take us there.

Remember, Russia doesn't have to be successful in reaching Mars to pose a perceived threat that could escalate the militarism. That's the reason that America must present its aims in a way that doesn't suggest military dominion over space. The world may not stand still for that. Our aggressive posture portends a new cold war in space.

If they had our money this world may be way different

http://www.spacedaily.com/2004/040115162118.8ffpi9bk.html

EU welcomes US space plans, but has concerns (about military ambitions):
http://www.spacedaily.com/2004/040115185953.4qfwre2v.html

They couldn't even fund their part of the international space station.

Show me an article talking about the Chinese doing something with nuclear power in space and I will take it seriously.

I always thought they needed a source of coolant, but I'm a complete layman, so I really dont know.

like a hundred below

They employ a different GPS system which we would seek to disable in the event of a military conflict. That's the impetus behind the militarization of space through the introduction of space-based lasers. Also to defend our GPS satellite system.

The danger is in the escalation itself. The mortaging of the nation's future to a manufactured space race. The probable mortaging of our childrens futures and their safety to a new generation of nuclear conflict sustained by a new generation of nuclear fuel plants, which are by the way, to be dual-use for the production of the next generation of nuclear weaponry which will utilize the new blended fuels.

The danger is in the isolation of America from the rest of the world in our manufactured mandate to conquer. (of course, you're either with us or again' us)

Sorry you can't see the linkage. Hope we don't have to go all the way there to convince you.