Space exploration/colonization

[politicallefty]

I'm a very strong supporter of space exploration and colonization. I think funding should be increased dramatically by the federal government. However, we should also be working with other countries and the private sector to further expand the possibilities. Unfortunately, it seems to me like the de-prioritization of the space program has a lot to do with the end of the Cold War. Without a strong rival, the importance seems to have diminished in the eyes of the government.

With that said, I'm not really a big supporter of colonizing the Moon. Short of a few outposts and the like, I don't think there's much to be gained there. However, I think the first manned mission to Mars should be expedited. If we could get to the Moon in 1969 based on 60s technology, I'm sure we could easily get to Mars by 2020 if we really wanted to (the last part means all the difference though). Any manned missions to Mars should be for the purposes of establishing a permanent settlement. (We don't need to be going to Mars just to say we went there.) I'd support terraformation as soon as technologically possible. Even gradual progress there would be significant. The primary problems are radiation, surface pressure, and temperature. A built-up atmosphere would help there. That would at least allow humans to lose the spacesuit for an oxygen mask before a breathable atmosphere could be established.

Other than Mars, we could be looking at some outer planet moons for exploration. Venus would be a nice destination for colonization, but that's obviously beyond our technology for quite some time. I think it's possible that Mars could be terraformed before a human being ever sets foot on Venus.