Russian plan to put men on Mars 'by 2009'

Telegraph ^ | 10/04/2004 | Tom Parfitt

[Eurotwit]

Russian scientists yesterday announced an ambitious project to send a manned mission to Mars by 2009.

If realised, it could trump Nasa's bid to put men on the Red Planet - announced by President George W Bush this year - by more than a decade.

Managers from Aviacosmicheskie Sistemy, an aerospace company based in Moscow, said their objective could be achieved using existing technology for no more than £2.7 billion, about a fifth of Nasa's projected costs.

The company plans to set up a space station beyond the Moon as a staging post for a three-year manned flight to Mars.

Six astronauts will make the trip in a low-budget craft based on a Russian Zvezda module carrying a 70-ton landing unit and a rover.

"This will be a pioneering flight," said Georgiy Uspensky, a member of the team.

"It is a very attractive and realistic idea."

Viktor Ivanov, a colleague, said the project could "solve the problem of national prestige".

An official from the Russian space agency, Rosaviakosmos, said the project had little chance of success on such a low budget, but the scientists said they were confident of securing private funding.

[Blue Highway]

How low-budget can you get?

[BigBobber]

Private investor to Russian space engineers:

"Ivan, make to the moon first, then we'll talk"

[Blue Highway]

I nominate Ted Kennedy to go... The pickled planetoid is too heavy to leave earth's orbit.

I'm sure he'd be willing to go providing he could add vodka to his tang.

[ladyinred]

I was going to suggest Teddy too, but you beat me. I wonder if there is enough room in their sputnik for him?

[RightWhale]

We still have it, but so many avenues of exploration are closed that it is frustrating to our nature. Wait until somebody says, "There's gold!' and then try to stop the Rush.

[lepton]

Russian scientists yesterday announced an ambitious project to send a manned mission to Mars by 2009.

But will they make any provision for them to return...or for that matter, even land?

[Brett66]

That's an interesting concept, what if they provided the first people on Mars with mining/processing equipment,seeds,greenhouse equipment etc. and told them there may not be a follow-on mission so their survival is up to them. I'm sure there would be volunteers, if they succeed, then there's a start-up colony on Mars. If they don't, well, they understood and volunteered to go.

[zoso82t]

One has only to say the words, "Mars was once Islamic." to see them go for it.

Actually, the best way would be to send a Jew there and have him build a synagogue. Then the Muslims will declare the site to be "the holiest in all of Islam" and trample over themselves to go build a mosque on top of it!

[RightWhale]

It's good to announce the big goal first. The orbiting-beyond-the-moon base will be only a rest stop.

[My2Cents]

Ted Kennedy, Ass-tronaut.

[glorgau]

I nominate Ted Kennedy to go...

Didn't you read the article? It can only hold 70 tons :-)

[Khurkris]

Puttin' there is the easy part.

Bringin' 'em back is the real trick.

[My2Cents]

...in a low-budget craft.

[Atlas Sneezed]

So what's wrong with a one-way trip in pursuit of exploration? Magellan made a one-way trip to the South Pacific...

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First, there was oxygen and water everywhere Magellan went.

Second, Magellan did not intend it to be one way. (And many other such one-way migrations involve people eventually dying of old age, not lack of oxygen water, and food.)

If knowledge is the goal, then send a Mars probe each month, designing and targeting future probes based on latest discoveries. Send an Imax camera with digital imagine if insp[iring the taxpayers is the goal.

All a lot cheaper and more productive than spending your budget on human sustenance and four nines reliability.

[Atlas Sneezed]

While we Americans seem to be losing the pioneering spirit.

---

Your dreams, my tax dollars?

[demlosers]

If the Rooskies pull this off, I see an accelerated U.S. manned spaced effort. Yippee!

[Atlas Sneezed]

And China's gunning for the moon, too.

'He who controls the high ground.......'

---

Mars isn't the high ground, it's exile.

[TheLion]

That looks hi-tech!

[XHogPilot]

Russian plan to put men on Mars 'by 2009'

But when will they bring them back?

[finnigan2]

As Peggy Noonan wrote recently, Teddy could drop his drawers and moon Europe.