Posted on 07/27/2018 11:39:09 AM PDT by ETL
A group of senators heard expert opinions during a committee hearing on Wednesday (July 25) about what will be required — logistically and scientifically — to safely land humans on Mars.
The hearing was coordinated by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is chair of the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness. "Mars is today the focal point of our national space program," Cruz said during opening remarks. "If American boots are to be the first to set foot on the surface, it will define a new generation — generation Mars."
But right now, NASA's focus seems to be split between the moon and Mars — a point raised by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, who asked whether the NASA budget is being "robbed" because efforts aimed at a journey to the moon are drawing resources away from the real priority of Mars. [Path to Mars Should Be Flexible, Experts Agree]
The panelists seemed to push back against that portrayal, arguing that low-Earth orbit and lunar missions offer valuable testing grounds for technologies humans will need to reach Mars at all. But the real goal of the hearing seemed to be one of building a case for a long-term, firm NASA vision. Three of the panelists talked about the importance of stable funding and priorities.
"We have to have a vision that lasts more than one administration," veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson said. "We have to have a budget line that will support those goals and objectives that we are striving to reach."
The industry representative on the panel underscored that point as well, citing the challenge of retaining expert staff when mission budgets are unpredictable. "Funding stability is absolutely vital in industry," said Tory Bruno, head of United Launch Alliance. "If you don't have work for the people on your team to do, they scatter."
The four panelists also seemed intent on balancing the abstract value of a Mars mission with the tangible spin-off technologies such a journey would create.
"You can't put a price tag, you can't put importance on how Apollo fundamentally changed all of us," said Dava Newman, an engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "That's how I look at the Mars mission now — we get humans there with all our great science, it will just lift us up." But she was also careful to mention more concrete potential benefits, like anti-cancer advances that could spring from tackling the threat posed by radiation in space.
Another clear takeaway from the testimony was the sheer number of tasks NASA needs to accomplish before such a mission can become a reality: everything from figuring out how to land larger spacecraft on Mars to developing systems that can function completely independently of Earth to making sure astronauts can withstand the mental challenges of being so far from home.
All those tasks mean NASA can't do it alone and needs to find a way to bring other countries as well as private companies into the mix. "People make it sound like the government is actually building all the hardware," said Chris Carberry, head of Explore Mars, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting exploration of Mars. "They're not."
You assumed correctly.
She figures if his boots are still there why do we need to send others.
:)
Thanks. Yeah I saw that. Not sure about that particular approach but I like the concept of smaller space vehicles and smaller machines for space exploration.
I assume that is a joke at her expense?
She once asked if the Mars rover could take a picture of the flag planted there by the astronauts.
MMGA
“Obviously the first step is to figure out how to fold space.”
Origami.
Will these sharpshooting, weight-lifting Russian androids fly to space next year?
An unnamed “source in the rocket and space industry” has told Russia’s international news agency, RIA Novosti, that two androids, as part of Russia’s robot platform FEDOR (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research), will fly a crewless Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station in 2019.
These robots previously made headlines when it was announced that they are trained to shoot guns with both of their “hands.” And, while few details about the bots and their mission have been revealed, their gun-wielding abilities forced Dmitry Rogozin, a former Russian deputy prime minister, to deny that the country was “creating a terminator,” according to a report from The Independent. [Meet Robonaut 2, NASA’s Space Droid (Infographic)]
The FEDOR program was created in 2014 with the goal of producing a robot that could replace humans in high-risk tasks and missions in space. Aside from shooting, these two androids are capable of driving, doing push-ups and lifting weights. It’s unclear how these skills might assist them in space or what their specific mission might be. Rogozin has only stated that the robots would have “great practical significance in various fields,” according to The Independent.
Sending robots to do jobs too dangerous for humans is not a new concept. NASA hopes that the agency’s robotic astronaut Robonaut 2, which is being repaired after its stint on the International Space Station, will work side by side with human crewmembers in space and complete tasks that are too high risk for humans.
Another space robot, CIMON — the first artificially intelligent assistance system designed for astronauts — is advancing robotic capabilities in space. CIMON, also known as a “flying brain,” is not designed to navigate situations that might be dangerous for astronauts, but it is definitely pushing forward the performance of robots on the space station with human-like compatibility.
https://www.space.com/41253-russian-robots-fly-to-space.html
By the time we’re ready to send astronauts to Mars, sex robot technology will probably be sufficient to ensure that no one on the early missions goes crazy because of physical deprivation.
All I want is a wall. Screw Mars.
As soon as I saw the headline, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to post about SJL!
Good to see my fellow FReepers didn’t disappoint!
Did she really? Well it's not "Island tip over" stupidity, but that's pretty bad.
“...required — logistically and scientifically — to safely land humans on Mars.”
The first group - and maybe more groups - probably won’t be coming back.
We can send 25 highly sophisticated rovers and orbiters to Mars for less money than it costs to send one human spacecraft.
Interested in science and technology? Send robots.
Interested in adventure stories? Send Matt Damon.
Except for space tourism and rocket thrill rides, space travel will have no commercial value for many, many centuries.
In 2018, our job is to do basic research.
We can let future generations pay for the practical applications.
That panel sounds like the panel that took up Bush’s Moon to Mars plan. This ine will likely end the same ... in silence and ignominy ...
Lol! Great cast, BTW! Of course you had to have a Tina Louise in there. All the old school sci-fi flicks had one. They had everything a young healthy growing American boy needed or wanted. Not sure what a typical boy is interested in today.
Here is the url if you want to try and go at it that way. Just click on this link.
https://pre00.deviantart.net/9dcc/th/pre/i/2013/294/e/8/yankee_go_home_by_myjavier007-d6rbrll.png
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