OK. I forgot one. The other American future history series that I give some attention to is Known Space by Larry Niven which also contributes some near future and now "past future" dates:
Mercury, Venus Pluto and Mars are explored, 1975-2000;
Mars is revisited in 2040;
technological advances and consequent social problems on Earth are first shown as in 2099.
So, apart from that first part, it is all still in the future.
For the purposes of this blog, we are interested in comparing Heinlein's, Blish's and Niven's future histories first with Anderson's - more than one - and secondly with Earth Real where we have reached 2025. I hope still to be here in 2045.
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
But unmanned rockets were sent by NASA to Mars during and after the 1970's. And successfully landed robotic mini labs designed to sample/analyze what was found on Barsoom.
Frustrating, inadequate! A manned expedition living on Mars could learn so much more, far more quickly!
Hope this uploads.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: well, that's in the cards within the next 10 years or so.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Even sooner than that, I hope! Esp. if Elon Musk sends a manned expedition to Mars in two or three years.
Ad astra! Sean
Two or three?
Paul: that's a bit optimistic for a crewed launch. There probably will be an unmanned Starship mission to Mars by 2029, though.
Kaor, to Both!
In my impatience I erred a bit. I should have remembered Musk/SpaceX plan to first send an unmanned ship or ships to Mars loaded with the supplies/tools/equipment a first manned expedition to Mars would need. I'm hoping that first stage is soon sent!
Hope this uploads.
Ad astra! Sean
Should We Go to the Moon or Mars Next?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTCFrv-2O0A
In this video Fraser Cain & Pamela Gay discuss the question and come to what I consider to be the sensible conclusion: Moon first both for its own sake & to practice the techniques needed to live anywhere off Earth. Being a few days rather than a few months away from Earth makes that *so* much easier.
It would have been good to go back to the moon earlier, but maybe reusable rockets required computer control techniques only recently developed.
Kaor, Jim!
I have absolutely no objection to both being done. And I wish men had returned to the Moon decades ago!
That said, I lean more to sympathizing with Musk's desire to think big and grandly, and go to Mars first.
Hope this uploads.
Ad astra! Sean
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