Using data from NASA's Curiosity rover, scientists at the CNRS, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, with the participation of CNES, have discovered patterns on Mars that provide evidence of a cyclical climate similar to that of Earth's. This major discovery opens up new prospects for research into the origin of life. The results of the study are published on 9 August 2023 in the journal Nature.
Because we as a species can walk and chew gum at the same time. I'm all for re-examining where public funds are spent when it comes to space exploration. There's a lot of defence contractors who got fat and happy on cost-plus aerospace contracts, and who need to be reined in with fixed-price contracts. But before we start looking to axe rovers on Mars, let's look at excessive military spending as a comparison.
Perseverance, the latest NASA rover, is planned to cost under $3 billion USD, which includes costs to launch and operate. Curiosity is estimated to be a little more at just over $3.2 billion total for launch and operations.
For the same total price as Perseverence, the US taxpayers are getting about 1 1/2 next-generation B-21 bomber, about $2 billion per aircraft when including costs to operate.
Perseverance and her sister Curiosity are making astonishing discoveries about the early history of Mars, and therefore insight into the early history of Earth. Would you rather have those astonishing discoveries coming from those two rovers, or would you rather have three extra bombers in the USAF fleet? I think the USAF has enough toys to play with.
I'll bite. Let's take climate change as an example, because it is the problem from which so many others spring. Scientists need accurate climate data over the long term, using many types of telescopes and sensors, operating 24/7. And one of the best ways to do that is with a whole lot of satellites. Rocketry R&D is effectively required to do proper climate science. We need rockets. We don't need more bombers.