Countdown: Curiousity Mars landing

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Oberon

We have the technology, we have the manpower, we have the need, but we've built such complex walls and rules around advancement and technology based upon finance that it is choking us.

I am not sure we have the technology at this point. Traveling to Mars is not like just a longer moon trip. It is pretty complicated.

I will agree that we have the people though.

About that need thing? Honestly, I feel it is a very low need and more a desire than a need.

I feel that a lot more can be learned about Mars by orbiters and rovers than by anyone planting a flag and picking up a few rocks. Once we have exhausted our ability to extract information from unmanned missions, only then should we consider manned missions.