Journal 10 November 1

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Space/wireStory?id=8944861

I haven't heard much about Russia's space program, but they did get a head start over us, so they do have experience with space exploration. This idea could be a major landmark in space exploration, since it could potentially put a man on Mars or other places in space farther out than the moon. It is nuclear powered, though, which could be very dangerous, and is very expensive. The article mentioned that the government was urged to find the money, not just spend it, so they probably don't even have the money to fit this into their budget. Lack of funding could delay the research and development and building of the ship, but maybe they will find a way to afford it. If they could put a man on Mars, we could learn all kinds of things about space and other planets. To make it to Mars, however, the fuel and power would not be the only issues that would need to be addressed. The astronauts would need food and water for however long that journey would take, which would probably be a long time. They would also need enough food and water for the journey back to Earth, and enough power to go both ways, which is a lot of energy. The research, development, and ship itself will already be very expensive, about 17 billion rubles ($600 million), and the cost to power the ship, feed the astronauts, and provide the gear to explore space and the planets they can land on would make that number even larger. If the Russians can manage a nuclear powered ship that can land a man on Mars, then it will definitely be a huge tool for space exploration. On the other hand, it does not appear to be an idea that would be affordable.