# Let's predict what the Curiosity rover will discover on Mars **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 7, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766 "2012-08-07T18:29:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/61 "2012-08-10T02:16:18Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > 6- Taxes and regulations on Earth drive people nuts? Hey, a place for the Tea Party Patriots to go to! ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/62 "2012-08-10T02:23:00Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > Hey, a place for the Tea Party Patriots to go to! That’s what I was thinking! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/63 "2012-08-10T06:15:24Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > One answer: because it is there. > 2- As a base for space exploration further out into the solar system. > 3- Earth is getting pretty darn crowded. > 4- Assuming there is an entire planet’s worth of resources out there, and assuming the colony gets big enough, with a space elevator on Mars many many tons of materials could be hoisted cheaply into orbit and boosted toward Earth for splashdown delivery. Or is space mining not cost-effective under any circumstances? > 5- Tourism. > 6- Taxes and regulations on Earth drive people nuts? > 7- Farming? Manufacturing? About half of those reasons only really apply to SF. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/64 "2012-08-10T13:36:14Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > About half of those reasons only really apply to SF. San Francisco? I know they are kind of touristy, but I didn’t think going there would get you away from the crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/65 "2012-08-10T13:41:55Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > Hey, a place for the Tea Party Patriots to go to! Well, I was hoping for the Sun for them. “Aim for someone over a Lake of Fire, huh? Well, we’ll try. But no guarantees…” ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/66 "2012-08-10T14:07:28Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > About half of those reasons only really apply to SF. I suppose you’re right. Then again, the line between sf and reality does move, if slowly. They just landed a nuclear powered suv on Mars in a pretty sf way after all. So, ‘merely’ insight into the geologic history of Mars? I’d like to see photos from the edge of the icecaps. Can liquid water exist up there? What does the place look like when it is all wet? What does alien ice look like? It is still pretty interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/67 "2012-08-10T16:09:17Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Yeah, but now you’re in trouble… > 'cause you know the rule here about kitties..Now you _have_ to post a pic. You asked for it. Mars Curiosity rover [first photo](http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/539246_10151091723129127_733792215_n.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/68 "2012-08-10T17:19:43Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > .. and to me showing we can get people there safely is what this trip is about. I don’t doubt we (humans that is) could get there safely, but getting back would be a bitch. The gravity is about 38% of Earth’s, meaning some kind of fueled rocket would need to be available to reach escape velocity and orbit. Maybe we could send a return vehicle ahead of time? I don’t know, it sounds like a very costly experiment for little gain. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/69 "2012-08-11T06:26:58Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I don’t doubt we (humans that is) could get there safely, but getting back would be a bitch. The gravity is about 38% of Earth’s, meaning some kind of fueled rocket would need to be available to reach escape velocity and orbit. Well we know there is water on Mars, so the rocket could run on helium and oxygen. If we discover the right kinds of raw materials up there, a return vessel could be built by robots via remote control. Or the roving robots could construct an enormous 3-D printer… ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/70 "2012-08-11T06:47:35Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > Hey, a place for the Tea Party Patriots to go to! Why do you hate Mars? ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766/71 "2012-08-11T12:00:54Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Mars Curiosity rover [first photo](http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/539246_10151091723129127_733792215_n.jpg) > [@Lancia](#): > > Why do you hate Mars? Because that cat wasn’t neutered. Martians are just as bad as my ijut neighbor! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-predict-what-the-curiosity-rover-will-discover-on-mars/630766.md?page=3)