[olePigeon]

The big one is Rhea. The little one leading the race is Mimas, followed by Enceladus. Enceladus is the one with liquid H20 geysers and possible rivers and/or oceans just meters beneath its icey surface.

[production_coordinator]

Interesting photos. I feel like we should be exploring places like this before Mars. With water... we could build a long term space colony.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by production_coordinator

Interesting photos. I feel like we should be exploring places like this before Mars. With water... we could build a long term space colony.

It's very probably that Mars has water and is a lot closer. Unfortunately, you'd be killed by Saturn's radiation. It's unclear how Saturn's gravity tidal forces would affect people as well.

[©öñFü$íóÑ]

if only Mars shared the same orbit as Earth, but would be on the opposite side of Earth's relative position..... a "counter-Earth" if you will. That way, we can plant trees and other vegetation on it, and the temperature would gradually turn very 'Earth-like'.

[JoshuaZ]

Originally Posted by ©öñFü$íóÑ

if only Mars shared the same orbit as Earth, but would be on the opposite side of Earth's relative position..... a "counter-Earth" if you will. That way, we can plant trees and other vegetation on it, and the temperature would gradually turn very 'Earth-like'.

If only candy grew on trees... then I could justify eating it all the time.

(I love you Mars)

[waxcrash]

http://www.stellarium.org/

[JazzCatDRP]

Originally Posted by ©öñFü$íóÑ

if only Mars shared the same orbit as Earth, but would be on the opposite side of Earth's relative position..... a "counter-Earth" if you will. That way, we can plant trees and other vegetation on it, and the temperature would gradually turn very 'Earth-like'.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/terraforming.htm

[ghporter]

You can't get to Saturn if you can't get to Mars first. And if you can get to Mars, you can stage the requirements for a longer-term flight very easily. Plus Mars almost definitely has water, though not just sitting there. But that's true about the Moon, too. And we need to get THERE before we can start working on Mars for the same reasons we need to go to Mars before Saturn.

But patience is hard, isn't it? I actually remember the first Moon landing, and man it's been a long, long time sinde we did anything that worthwhile.

[production_coordinator]

Originally Posted by ghporter

You can't get to Saturn if you can't get to Mars first. And if you can get to Mars, you can stage the requirements for a longer-term flight very easily. Plus Mars almost definitely has water, though not just sitting there. But that's true about the Moon, too. And we need to get THERE before we can start working on Mars for the same reasons we need to go to Mars before Saturn.

But patience is hard, isn't it? I actually remember the first Moon landing, and man it's been a long, long time sinde we did anything that worthwhile.

I agree... I just wish we were exploring areas with liquid water [unmanned would be fine]. I think where there is water, there will be life.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by ghporter

You can't get to Saturn if you can't get to Mars first.

Very true. I'm also eager to see what we'll find on the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, but we need to crawl before we can walk. As it is, the distance to Mars, and Mars' lack of an ozone layer provide significant challenges to just getting ourselves there and back in one peace.

Originally Posted by ghporter

But patience is hard, isn't it? I actually remember the first Moon landing, and man it's been a long, long time sinde we did anything that worthwhile.

So very sadly true. Our priorities seem to be on other things, like making money, war and entertainment, which is rather sad. Space travel is undoubtedly the future. We need to learn to travel, explore and terra-form other worlds and eventually expand beyond our own.

Those who think that a space program is a waste of time or money simply don't see the larger picture. In addition, advances in technology and knowledge from a space program will often-times benefit the general population here on Earth and enable and encourage improvements in the quality of life of peoples throughout the Earth.

[Gee4orce]

I read an interesting fact today - at the current rate of population growth, we will reach the moon by the year 4000-something.

...that's just the physical pile of humans standing on one another !

ie. we HAVE to go into space, sooner or later. Either that, or we are implicitly expecting the population of earth to remain constant FOREVER - or get smaller. There simply won't be enough room for us all