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http://www.highmars.org/niac/niac01.html
The site isn't that good looking but it has a lot of cool information about what a maned mission to Mars would entail.

Kick a**! haha it reminds me of a bounce house XD

Indeed I NASA needs to get serous with this plan I'm sick of all the stalling in low earth orbit. Maybe the new administration will take science more seriously though I cant say I'm optimistic. Still I think the American public wants to go to Mars if you can't get government on your side our fellow citizens may help us twist that arm

((If the government didn't allow for the creation of money and credit out of thin air in the first place we wouldn't be in this problem the bailouts didn't work in the 1930s so why would they work now))
I'm not getting my hopes up I just hope we go there with in my life time

parents too it was only back in 1969

I think my father was about 8 or 9 years old, I'll admit I don't trust our new president, mostly because of his track record as a senator, and because of his not so new deal, I'm certainly not a fan of the democratic party though I cant say I think vary highly of what the republican party has become. But when it comes to scientific exploration I have more faith in Obama than I ever did with Bush. But that's not saying much, heh heh, at least Obama believes in evolution. But so far all I've seen from him is a lot of talk and no results. None the less, NASA needs to start setting goals for its self, my father's generation had the moon, our generation needs Mars.
The Design Reference Mission can be achieved despite the current state of the economy, it's a realistic goal to have. I believe the price tag amounted to 55 billion that would be payed over a stretch of 10 years. Here's a pdf on the mission, its the best compile of information about the mission that I could find.
Design Reference Mission pdf