[ad_1]
As NASA shifts its space exploration goal to the moon, Mars' exploration and colonization advocates are sending a message to future lunar explorers: do not feel too comfortable.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "" I think that the moon should be included in plan d human expansion in space ", Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society and author of a new book titled "The case of space" said GeekWire. "But we do not want this to become an obstacle to further human expansion in space." "Data-reactid =" 23 ">" I think the moon should be included in the plan for human expansion in space ", Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars Society and author of a new book titled "The Case for Space," told GeekWire. "But we do not want this to become an obstacle to further human expansion into space."
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Chris Carberry, executive director of Explore Mars, adopts a similar position. "Data-reactid =" 24 "> Chris Carberry, executive director of Explorer Mars, takes a similar position.
"If we spend years and years reaching that goal and then decide to stay here for a long time, it could delay Mars by decades," he said.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The future exploration of Mars will have a share of the put to the Once again this week at the annual conference Man to Mars Summit, sponsored by Carberry non-profit group in Washington, DC NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, other NASA and European Space Agency officials planning missions to Mars, and Paul Wooster, one of the engineers at the helm of SpaceX Red Planet. "Data-reactid =" 26 "> This year's annual Human to Mars Summit, sponsored by the Carberry non-profit group in Washington, will be in the spotlight this week, with Jim Bridenstine, director of NASA, other NASA and European Space Agency officials planning missions to Mars, and Paul Wooster, one of the engineers leading SpaceX's mission on the Red Planet.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The three-day conference will be live from start to finishThe three-day conference will be broadcast live from beginning to end, starting at 8:30 am, New York time (Tuesday). "data-reactid =" 27 "> 5.30 am).
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Bridenstine speaks much more about the moon than Mars lately." This time, when we go to the moon, we will stay, " he told reporters in February. "data-reactid =" 30 "> Bridenstine talks a lot more about the moon than about Mars recently." This time, when we go to the moon, we will really stay, "he told reporters in February.
Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm "type =" text "content =" Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon as well as the private space company Blue Origin, has been say something similar for years – more recently last week, when he presented his latest roadmap for Blue Moon missions to the lunar surface. "data-reactid =" 31 "> Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon and privately held private company Blue Origin, has been saying something similar for years – most recently last week, presenting his latest Blue Moon roadmap. missions to the lunar surface.
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "SpaceX's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, is also part of the movement of the moon, even if the installation on Mars remains its long-term goal. "We should have a lunar base now," Musc said in 2017. "What the hell is happening?" "Data-reactid =" 32 "> SpaceX's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, is also on the moon's train, even though the Mars settlement remains its long-term goal." We should have a lunar base here now, "said Musk in 2017." What the heck is it?
<p class = "canvas-atom web-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The moon is growing thanks to a push of the Mike Pence, vice president of the White House, at the head of the newly reconstituted National Council of Space. put the American astronauts on the moon by the end of 2024, which represents a significant acceleration in NASA projects. "data-reactid =" 33 "> The moon is bigger than ever, thanks to a boost from the White House and Vice President Mike Pence, at the helm of the newly reconstituted National Council of Space The Trump The timing of the administration plans to place American astronauts on the moon by the end of 2024, representing a significant acceleration of NASA projects.
<p class = "canvas-atom-text-canvas Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "NASA is still working on a quantity estimate A program accelerated lunar will cost more, and it is unclear how Congress will receive a request for additional money (Updated for 15:20 ET May 13: President Donald Trump tweeted that an additional $ 1.6 billion would be sought for the 2020 fiscal year, which is very small compared to what is supposed to be necessary.) "data-reactid =" 34 "> NASA is still working on an estimate of the additional amount of expedited processing, lunar program will cost, and it is unclear how a request for additional money will be received by Congress. (Updated for 15:20 ET May 13: President Donald Trump tweeted that an additional $ 1.6 billion would be sought for fiscal year 2020, which is very small compared to what is supposed to be necessary.)
Why hurry? At one level, it is about demonstrating America's persistent domination of space, facing China's challenges. On another level, once again planting the American flag on the moon would be a historic achievement for what the White House hopes to be President Donald Trump's second term.
But overall, the moon serves as a testing ground for more distant space odysseys. The fact that it is only 240,000 miles, rather than tens of millions of kilometers for Mars, reduces the risk and expense for crewed missions.
Advocates of Mars such as Zubrin and Carberry agree with the argument put forward so far. But they are wary of how NASA intends to execute the plan.
"The question for Trump and Pence is, are they willing to do what needs to be done?" Said Zubrin.
The president of the Mars Society, Robert Zubrin, is the author of "The Case for Space: How Space Flight Revolution Opens a Future of Unlimited Prosperity." (Prometheus Books / The Mars Society)
According to Zubrin, NASA's current approach to moon missions is not the way to go. The mission's architecture includes the construction of a lunar orbit outpost called Gateway, which would serve as a base for operations that travel to the surface.
For Zubrin, the bridge is a "lunar toll in orbit" which represents a waste of money. In his book, he describes an alternative architecture that uses SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 rockets, as well as a lunar excursion vehicle, which has not yet been designed, to carry payloads and people on the Moon non-stop in lunar orbit.
This argument is sure to spark fears in Congress, which has already funded billions of dollars in development costs for SLS and the space crew capsule in NASA space. But Zubrin's vision, which relies instead on commercial ventures like SpaceX and Blue Origin, is exactly what needs to be done.
"What could enable the Moon and Mars in the next ten years is this revolution in the entrepreneurial space," he said. "NASA has barely begun to use it."
NASA officials realized that a permanent presence on the moon was a necessary stepping stone in the outpouring of humanity. But Carberry and Zubrin are not so sure. They fear that the costs associated with installing the Moon and building the infrastructure needed to extract ice, water and other resources could divert funds and political will from missions to Mars .
<h4 class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Learn more about Moon Direct: Mars Maverick establishes a low-cost plan for lunar bases"data-reactid =" 58 ">Learn more about Moon Direct: Mars Maverick establishes a low-cost plan for lunar bases
"If we build a base on the moon, then I can not imagine going to Mars anytime soon," Carberry said.
Zubrin, meanwhile, was interested in NASA's proposal to send astronauts to Mars via the Moon Bridge on a future spacecraft called Deep Space Transport.
"It's not feasible, and besides, it's not even attractive," he said.
For decades, Zubrin has advocated a Mars Direct plan that, like that of Moon Direct, provides for a series of robotic and crewed missions on the Red Planet, without going back and forth – and argues that SpaceX's efforts make it possible to realize idea.
"Musk wants to go to Mars," Zubrin said. "You do not see him talking about building a space station in lunar orbit to activate his plan. No one who really wants to go to Mars puts such requirements into their mission plan. "
<p class = "canvas-atom-text-canvas Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "To prove that the NASA plan must go through a paradigm shift, Zubrin points to a independent study of the Institute of Science and Technology of the Institute for Defense Analyzeswhich concludes that The space agency can not meet the 2033 calendar to send humans to Mars. A more realistic date would be 2037, according to the study. "Data-reactid =" 64 "> To prove that NASA's plan must go through a paradigm shift, Zubrin refers to an independent study of the Science and Technology of the Institute for Defense Analyzes.Institute, which concludes that the space agency can not meet a timetable for sending humans to Mars, according to a more realistic study.
The study, commissioned by NASA in response to a congressional mandate, attributes further delays to the technological risks inherent in the development of Deep Space Transport.
Space exploration costs are estimated at more than $ 217 billion by 2037 – including $ 120.6 billion specifically for the elements needed to reach Mars. The rest of the funds would go to the development of computer hardware for missions on the surface of Mars, as well as operations in low Earth orbit and on the moon.
Musk talks about sending SpaceX's first crewed mission to Mars in the mid-2020s. Even Musk admits his calendars are often too optimistic, but Zubrin says the success of SpaceX and other commercial ventures is likely to force decision-makers to "re-examine" their plans for future giants.
"We heard a shot all over the world. … This will allow human exploration and colonization of the solar system, "he said. "This will allow it sooner if NASA adopts it fully."
More from GeekWire:
[ad_2]
Source link