Lets hope the next 50 years sees some more progress.

Back in the 70s it was believed by many, that we would already have a permanent settlement on the Moon and Mars would have already been reached by a manned spacecraft. How disappointing it is to look back at how space programs around the world were trimmed and cut back until it reached a point where the scope of manned missions were reduced and worse, brave astronauts lost their lives, not by pushing the limits of technology (which is bad enough), but instead by cheap sub-standard equipment failing.

Unforgivable 😡

The words "never again" dont seem to be enough.

Also, it is unfair that just America and Russia have born the brunt of exploring space. It's a costly business which should be a worldwide effort (to spread the costs) so that it can be done properly and safely.

The world being the way it is these days, could really do with something spectacular like a manned Mars mission. It would give everyone a lift, make the world smile again. Sending out robots and probes is all well and good for gathering data, but it doesn't compare with "being there".

Sorry for that wee rant there 😳 , but at times that disappointed and angry 70s kid comes out of me, the penny pinchers stole my dreams 🙁

It truly is amazing how little all the countries have done in the way of space travel. Or maybe astronauts did find something they didn't like up there 😉

My guess is that we will be lucky to step foot on Mars before 2025.

Nasa had some grand ideas for moon bases and space stations back in the late 60s early 70s.

Think we will have to wait for the next cold war to start with the Chinese to get any government interest in space again maybe a race to get to mars.

Red on the Red planet.

There were loads of ideas about back then, here is a web site that looks at some of them http://beyondapollo.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... -1968.html.

A major one was Project Orion, a nuclear rocket

Then there were proposed upgrades to the Saturn V

Interesting blog.

Thought that Nova rocket looks a little like the failed Russian moon rocket.

That is very possible Pinback, there was a lot of "under the table" co-operation between the two space agencies even during the cold war. Does anyone remember the Russian space shuttle?

Always remember reading about the buran shuttle back in the mid 80s in Space Voyager then hearing nothing about it until few years ago.