The challenges of manned Mars exploration

The Space Review ^ | 04/17/06 | Donald Rapp

[KevinDavis]

Why 2040 is the earliest NASA can hope to send humans to the Red Planet

If one examines the many specific occurrences where NASA’s Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS) Report mentions the word “Mars,” it is found that essentially all of them are very thin and lacking in content. It seems quite apparent that NASA has not yet made the effort to revisit the 1990s legacy of Mars human mission analysis to any depth at all, and seems to be content (at least for now) with handwaving, platitudes, and goal statements. The likely reason for this is that NASA has its hands full right now attempting to deal with lunar missions, and Mars missions have been pushed back beyond the back burner, to the point where they have fallen off the stove.

NASA has a very long road ahead to develop feasible, affordable approaches for human missions to Mars (if indeed such is possible—which seems unlikely at this juncture) and I have concluded that there is no way that NASA can send humans to Mars before 2040, and probably 2080. Nevertheless, NASA continues to express optimism about human missions to Mars, inferring that such missions will be implemented directly after human missions to the Moon, and, in fact, the ESAS Report refers to “Mars and beyond” several times. This disingenuous approach obscures the fact that NASA does not seem to have a plan for how to implement credible, feasible, affordable human missions to Mars.

[Crazieman]

So no warp drive by 2063?

[RightWhale]

Should have been at least one expedition to Mars and back by now. It could have been done by 1990.

[airborne]

IMHO, the space shuttle was a waste of time.

[KevinDavis]

[KevinDavis]

I happen to agree, but you have to understand.. NASA madate changes with each admin and who controls Congress. During the moon launches, the rats control congress. Plus the Nixon and Carter admin didn't help NASA too much either..

[antaresequity]

With all this nation and the world are facing right now...exactly how serious is anyone that going to Mars is even worth it?

With all due respects...millions of illegals are flooding across the border annually, GW Bush is spending like a drunken fool...and we are currently dealing with a islamo fascist nut case hell bent on acquiring nuclear arms to destroy both Israel and the West...

Mars?...you have got to be kidding?...tell me your not that delusional?

[RightWhale]

Nothing like being a Conservative on a shipwreck. It might be that a manned expedition to Mars is the only thing that can save us.

[Calvin Locke]

The shuttle became a waste of time. It was worth the effort, initially. Unfortunately, NASA did not cut it's (taxpayers)
losses once the shuttle failed to deliver the cost/performance/benefit ratios.

They let it become a white elephant, draining the science and innovation out of the space program.

[jbp1]

Why in the crap? Friggin NASA bozos.

We should have a 2 million cubic ft space station in orbit about 50k miles out by now, instead of all of those dumba** shuttle missions that amounted to jackshoot.

I just want to scream.

We do NOT needto go to freakin mars!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!!

[KevinDavis]

Why???

[George - the Other]

I too would have thought we'd have been there by now.

[Lancer_N3502A]

Wernher Von Braun and NASA's original plan was to land a man on Mars in 1980! And have a manned mission to Jupiter in, you guessed it 2001.

[Lancer_N3502A]

Flush out yer head gear there new guy. What would you build that 2 million cubic foot space station out of?

"Many years ago the great British explorer George
Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked
why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it
is there." Well, space is there, and we're going
to climb it, and the moon and the planets are
there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are
there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask
God's blessing on the most hazardous and
dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has
ever embarked."

-- John F Kennedy, Rice University, September 12th, 1962.\

Entire Speech: http://www1.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/jfkru56k.asf
Link: http://www1.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/jfkru56k.asf

[airborne]

I understand. I'm just very disappointed.

[airborne]

We do NOT needto go to freakin mars!!!!!!!

"To boldly go where no man has gone before!"

In orbit??

[ran15]

I'm not sure why people want to send biological humans into space at all...(besides tourism).

Within a few decades robots will be able to do everything humans can do and more. And we can design them to withstand the problems in space, like the radiation. Much of the weight in a manned mission even short distances, is to sustain the biological humans.

[jmcenanly]

So no warp drive by 2063?

It depends on how well private enterprise does.

[RightWhale]

2 million cubic ft space station in orbit about 50k miles out

What for? That is, would there be a purpose?

[hosepipe]

[ Within a few decades robots will be able to do everything humans can do and more. ]

Can robots be stupid?...