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To add to the discussion... according to the briefing, they believe that all of the technologies required for a human mission to Mars are 15 years away, assumin
by Arjuna 12y ago
To add to the discussion... according to the briefing, they believe that all of the technologies required for a human mission to Mars are 15 years away, assuming that all technologies are fully tested. This puts an approximate time-line near 2030 [1].
Question from Scott Powers, The Orlando Sentinel:
"The technologies you talked about that are still a long ways from being fully developed, the EDL [2], the propellant and communications. Do you have a sense for what kind of time tables we're talking about, to get those to the point where they'll be able to be used in manned missions?"
Answer from Dr. James Reuther [3]:
"[...] To get all the way to the point where we are able to put 10 metric tons, 10 times what we can do today, to the surface or greater, which is what's really required for a human mission, is probably going to take until the beginning of 2030 before we have all of those technologies in hand, ready to go at that scale. And, that means that they're fully demonstrated and ready for that kind of mission."
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBoj-1m-qLU#t=2304 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBoj-1m-qLU#t=2304
[2] Entry, Descent and Landing
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/about_us/bios/reuther_bio.html http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/about_us/bios/reu...
- danielweber 12y ago"15 years to launch" means it isn't happening. I would love a Mars mission, but this isn't it.
- arjie 12y agoThe moon mission was 9 years to launch.
- danielweber 12y agoAnd that was very close to the deadline. By the time Nixon was in office, Apollo 8 had already orbited the Moon and Apollo 9 was less than 2 months away. No administration is going to carry the water to push along a rival administration's space program that's only ¼ complete.
- Retra 12y agoThe moon is also much closer than mars.
- MrBra 12y agoThat's relative ;)
- angryasian 12y agoI'm really curious why weight and propellant are even an issue. I imagine in 5 to 10 years private corporations will be making regular trips to space very cost effectively. I would think the smart idea would to bring as much as possible and assemble in space.
- JoeAltmaier 12y agoI'd suggest many smaller deliveries of supplies to the surface of Mars first, topped off with human cargo. They would find tools and supplies, and already-charged power cells ready on arrival.
- ricardobeat 12y agoSpaceX says Falcon Heavy will be able to put 14 tons on a mars trajectory, and it's having it's first launch next year. The soviet Energia could (theoretically) already do that almost three decades ago. What is missing from NASA's perspective?
- cloudwalking 12y agoEverything else. Lift to orbit is only one of hundreds of factors.