Happy Anniversary Viking 2

On September 3 1976, Viking 2 landed on Mars, and took the first closeup pictures of Mars surface.


We should have had a manned landing there by now.

 

Too much radiation,I cant see it happening,my brain says no but my heart says yes

ATM were fighting gravity using brute force,I think we need to first understand what gravity is and then learn to manipulate it or go with even more brute force with some kind of plasma motor with really high specific impulse,I'v often wondered why huge jet turbine cant be used up to 120 000feet they are 6 time more efficent due to not carrying oxygen,the only limitation being the power

The astronauts would need many inches of lead to protect them from the radiation of solar flares,if we were to go with current propulsion systems the only way I think it would be possible would be if we could deflect the radiation with an EM field like the earths,the weight of such a device would probably end up weighing more than the lead shielding

 

Happy anniversary Viking 2.

Unmanned probes are worlds easier than manned missions, but back then I'd have thought that we'd be there by now too. But the more we've learned, the more challenges we've found. Radiation, dust, and whatever chemicals are IN the dust, and the simple task of bringing along enough consumables for that long a mission. Just setting up a permanent base on the Moon will be a challenge. The moon dust is like a sand-blasting compound, very tough and very abrasive, thin as talcum powder and gets into everything. Apollo wasn't there long enough for it to be a showstopper, but it caused them some problems even on their short missions. Our world fits and protects us so well that it's difficult to imagine just how tough the rest of the solar system is.