[ad_1]
The United States promised to send the first humans to Mars by the 2030s, but space experts and lawmakers have expressed concern that planning and enforcement lack of funds is delaying these plans.
to send Americans back to the moon for the first time since the 1960s and 1970s Apollo missions, building a lunar bridge to test the technology and spacecraft that will transport humans to Mars.
At a hearing in Washington, Sen. Bill Nelson stated that the White House's decision to return to the moon – a program that former President Barack Obama has halted to focus on Mars – could slow down the whole process
"We do not want to steal NASA's budget from what is the goal is to reach Mars with humans," said Nelson, a Florida Democrat, who is home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.
"Do these missions help us reach our goal of bringing humans to Mars?"
In 2009, an independent panel of experts known as the Augustine Commission warned that NASA's resources were not meeting its ambitious goals.
With an annual budget of about $ 18 billion, NASA would need an additional $ 3 billion a year. NASA officials said that this year they were trying to develop an in-depth space program with much less, using only inflation-based budget increases
. Science Academies calculated that if NASA's budget continued on its current path, "forget the scenario of arriving in March in the 2030s. It would take us up to 2050," added Nelson.
"I do not think we want to wait a long time."
In 2017, the bill authorizing the NASA demanded that NASA define and provide Congress with a step-by-step plan to reach Mars.
"We have not got that roadmap yet, seven months ago," said Nelson
"What gives? Let's see the program, to go to Mars and see where all this is located."
Testifying at the hearing, Chris Carberry, executive director of Explore Mars, said that international and private partnerships could help the United States make access to Mars more affordable [19659002] "Our international partners want us to lead".
"But they have concerns that we will continue to change direction, they are not sure we will follow the direction."
More so, aerospace experts have identified a dozen technologies that "we need to start working pretty much immediately if we hope to land humans on Mars in the 2030s." Added Carberry.
These include the development of spaceships that can survive the difficult entry on Mars and land softly, as well as the ability to lift people from the surface and return to Earth. [19659002] "Some will take a long time to achieve," said Carberry, praising bipartisan support for NASA, including Texas legislator Ted Cruz, a Republican who heads the subcommittee senatorial on space, said he hopes the next NASA funding bill "This next NASA clearance, the hope is that it will go farther." and be more daring in his aspirations, "he said.
Cruz asked NASA's retired astronaut Peggy Whitson, who spent an American record of 665 days in space for his point of view on what is needed for the future
"The most important thing is the constancy of purpose," she replied.
"We must have a vision that lasts more than one administration We must have a budget line that will support those goals and objectives that we are trying to reach. ndre. "
Source link
