NASA are sending humans to Mars

[Arthur]

Source: NASA (via Twitter)

 

NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s – goals outlined in the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and in the U.S. National Space Policy, also issued in 2010.

 

Mars is a rich destination for scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth?

 

While robotic explorers have studied Mars for more than 40 years, NASA’s path for the human exploration of Mars begins in low-Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station. Astronauts on the orbiting laboratory are helping us prove many of the technologies and communications systems needed for human missions to deep space, including Mars. The space station also advances our understanding of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health.

 

Our next step is deep space, where NASA will send a robotic mission to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon. Astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will explore the asteroid in the 2020s, returning to Earth with samples. This experience in human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit will help NASA test new systems and capabilities, such as Solar Electric Propulsion, which we’ll need to send cargo as part of human missions to Mars. Beginning in FY 2018, NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket will enable these “proving ground” missions to test new capabilities. Human missions to Mars will rely on Orion and an evolved version of SLS that will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown.

 

A fleet of robotic spacecraft and rovers already are on and around Mars, dramatically increasing our knowledge about the Red Planet and paving the way for future human explorers. The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover measured radiation on the way to Mars and is sending back radiation data from the surface. This data will help us plan how to protect the astronauts who will explore Mars. Future missions like the Mars 2020 rover, seeking signs of past life, also will demonstrate new technologies that could help astronauts survive on Mars.

 

Engineers and scientists around the country are working hard to develop the technologies astronauts will use to one day live and work on Mars, and safely return home from the next giant leap for humanity. NASA also is a leader in a Global Exploration Roadmap, working with international partners and the U.S. commercial space industry on a coordinated expansion of human presence into the solar system, with human missions to the surface of Mars as the driving goal.

 

Edited December 3, 2014 by Arthur

[Grey-gear]

Though this sounds cool it still feels like this will be awhile before anything happens. But hey you never know maybe I can retire on Mars

[pcstru]

I can never decide if sending humans into space is a good thing or just a waste of money. Robotic missions are focused and much cheaper, sending humans is 99% bragging rights. Other than seeing how humans cope in space, the scientific advantages are almost nil.

[localzuk]

NASA really depends on the prevailing mood of the US administration at any one time, and as both houses are currently controlled by Republicans, they might find themselves struggling when it comes to funding - the Republicans have a habit of attacking NASA as an unnecessary expense (as science scares some of them it seems, going by some of their comments!!)

 

So, we'll see...

 

I can never decide if sending humans into space is a good thing or just a waste of money. Robotic missions are focused and much cheaper, sending humans is 99% bragging rights. Other than seeing how humans cope in space, the scientific advantages are almost nil.

 

The list of technologies that have come out of human space flight is huge. The by-products alone make every penny spent on it worth it so far.

Edited December 3, 2014 by localzuk

[tmcd35]

I can never decide if sending humans into space is a good thing or just a waste of money. Robotic missions are focused and much cheaper, sending humans is 99% bragging rights. Other than seeing how humans cope in space, the scientific advantages are almost nil.

 

I'd argue, in terms of extreme long term species survival and evolution, it's pretty much essential. As it stands the fate of the species is tied directly to the fate of the planet and/or solar system.

 

It's easy to argue the more immediate, nothing they do in the next 100 years is going to have a major effect on out lives. In the short term you may say the scientific advantages are almost nil, but then again a lot of the technologies we take for granted today were developed either for or as a result of the space race.

[pcstru]

I'd argue, in terms of extreme long term species survival and evolution, it's pretty much essential. As it stands the fate of the species is tied directly to the fate of the planet and/or solar system.

I'm not sure that is a disadvantage. We aren't at all good custodians of what we have now. Sending humans into space will just pollute and spoil the rest of the universe.

It's easy to argue the more immediate, nothing they do in the next 100 years is going to have a major effect on out lives. In the short term you may say the scientific advantages are almost nil, but then again a lot of the technologies we take for granted today were developed either for or as a result of the space race.

Equally you could say that a lot of the technology and advances we have today were developed for or as a result of our desire to kill other people in wars (and you could probably include the whole space race in that). Is such technology really such a good thing?

[Tesla]

Wasn't the internet/WWW made for communication between military bases originally?

[tmcd35]

Wasn't the internet/WWW made for communication between military bases originally?

 

AFAIR The Internet was an amalgamation of two previous networks. ARPANET was the military research system for communicating between bases, and there was a University network. The two joined together in the 80's to become the foundation of The Internet. The WWW was a later (british - fly the flag) invention by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Prior to that I think a protocal called Gophar was a popular similar system.

[JoeBloggs]

Good link here

 

NASA's Apollo technology has changed history | Computerworld

[Trapper]

Not going to happen.

 

The Orion plan has been purposely designed to be slow, unwieldy with enough critical decisions being so far in the future any future administration will come in and kill it.

 

Now Constellation that was a good plan - but because it had the taint of Bush on it Obama killed it straight on getting into office.

 

Elon Musk is the future of space exploration not NASA.

[localzuk]

Elon Musk and SpaceX are aimed squarely at cheap commercial exploitation of space, not exploration. SpaceX and the like are the future of "space trucking".

 

NASA, ESA, JAXA etc... are still the future of research and development and space exploration. Quite simply, commercial companies will not spend lots of cash trying to get somewhere without a good chance of making a return on their investment. NASA will.

 

NASA has always suffered from administration idiocy. For some reason, the US govt has gradually shrank the share of the budget that they get from its peak of 4.41% in 1966, to just 0.49% now. Its truly pathetic that they want the agency to do so much with so little. Its also ridiculous how little the EU governments spend on space too - a mere €4bn compared with military spending of nearly €200bn. We get so much in return for space research, it seems like a constant lost opportunity.

[Trapper]

Musk will do what NASA doesn't want to, lower cost access to space - this will be a technological singularity that we cannot predict what will happen beyond it.

 

I mean look at how NASA and the USAF launch rockets - they use the same consortium containing the two biggest aerospace contractors of Lockheed and Boeing. It's expensive to put a payload into orbit now, almost as expensive as it was 50 years ago and no one wants to break that little monopoly up.

 

You may think that Musk is just a space taxi, but he will significantly lower the cost for orbit access and we cannot say what that will cause.

[featured_spectre]

Can we expect them to find new elements is the real question. If so, then exploration of Mars will become very very profitable and valuable. Would be a grounding point for getting Mars colonised.

[Grey-gear]

I don't think we would find any new elements but mostly find most the elements we have on earth

[featured_spectre]

well there is a chance, you never know. drill deep enough and you'll find something.

[abillybob]

Though this sounds cool it still feels like this will be awhile before anything happens. But hey you never know maybe I can retire on Mars

 

But why!? It'll be colder there than it is here in the UK.... Not me I'm moving to Portugal.

 

As for the whole concept of sending humans to Mars I think it will be a good while before that actually happens, don't get me wrong it would be nice to see something like that happen in my lifetime although I won't believe it until it's properly announced with a date so I'm not even going to bother commenting on the matter.

[Grey-gear]

True but we still need to get to Mars before we can really know what's there. Never know could find a whole knew element like Edugeektium

[Scotbynature]

We should have colonised at least Mars by now and started construction of our space based armada for when all of these scary aliens appear to try and take over the world. All of our sci fi films are basically telling us it is going to happen any time soon so shouldn't we have made a start by now?

[Grey-gear]

But why!? It'll be colder there than it is here in the UK.

 

"The cold doesn't bother me anyway"

 

Edited December 5, 2014 by Grey-gear

[localzuk]

True but we still need to get to Mars before we can really know what's there. Never know could find a whole knew element like Edugeektium

 

Surely it'd be Edugeekium, minus the t?

[Grey-gear]

Surely it'd be Edugeekium, minus the t?

 

yeah that sounds better

Edited December 5, 2014 by Grey-gear

[Andrew_C]

I'm booking a one-way ticket.

[pcstru]

I'm booking a one-way ticket.

I tried that. When I phoned they said my wife had already booked for me.

[6Foot2]

[Trapper]

I still it utterly depressing that the last man to walk on the Moon is now in his 80s, I mean hell the first man on the Moon is long dead.

 

I think though Gene Cernan will die with his worst fear intact that he'll still be the last man to walk on the moon when he dies.