Space experts worry that the United States does not reach Mars by 2030

MIAMI – The United States promised to send the first humans to Mars by the 2030s, but space experts and lawmakers expressed their concerns about the fact that planning and lack of funds are delaying these intentions. promised to send the 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.

Senator Bill Nelson declared that the White House's decision to return to the moon – a program that former President Barack Obama quit in order to focus on Mars – could slow the whole process [19659002] "We do not want to steal NASA The goal is to reach Mars with humans," said Nelson, a Florida Democrat, home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center

"Is this that these missions help us achieve our goal to get h In 1965, an independent panel of experts called the Augustine Commission warned that NASA's resources did not match its lofty goals.

With an annual budget of about 18 billion, NASA would need

NASA officials said that this year they were trying to develop a deep space program with much less, using only increases in budget based on inflation. 19659002] And the National Academies of Science have calculated that if NASA's budget continued on its current trajectory, "forget the scenario of getting to Mars in the 2030s. It would take us until 2050." I do not do not think we wanted to wait that long. "

In 2017, NASA's congressional authorization bill required NASA to define and provide on-plan to reach Mars

We have not yet this road map. It is seven months late, "said Nelson.

" What gives? Let's see the program to go to Mars and see where all this is. "

Testifying at the hearing, Chris Carberry, executive director of Explore Mars, said that international and private partnerships could help the United States make it more affordable

" Our international partners want that we were leading, "he told lawmakers

" But they have concerns that we will continue to change direction, they are not sure that we will follow the direction. "[19659002] Even more, aerospace experts have identified a dozen technologies that "we need to start working pretty much immediately if we have the hope of landing on Mars in the 2030s. "Carberry added.

These include the development of spaceships that can survive difficult entry on Mars and land softly, as well as the ability to lift people and return to Earth. It will take a long time to achieve this, said Carberry. In praise of bipartisan support for NASA, he sees among legislators, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican who heads the Senate Subcommittee on Space, said he hopes that NASA's next funding bill "This next authorization from NASA, the hope is that it will go further and be more daring in its aspirations," he said.

Cruz asked retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who spent an American record of 665 days in space, for her view on what is needed for the # 39; future.

"The most important thing is the constancy of purpose," she replied. have a vision that lasts more than one administration. We must have a budget line that will support the goals and objectives we are trying to achieve. "