With all the hubbub currently going on about space, it seems that everyone is looking to cross the atmospheric boundaries of Earth. As such, it’s only natural that Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, would join this effort. He is now teaming up with the Florida Institute of Technology to develop a “master plan” to colonize Mars within 25 years.
Buzz Aldrin Speaks About His “Master Plan”
Aldrin, now 85, landed on the moon roughly 46 years ago on July 21, 1969, following Neil Armstrong. On Thursday, he took part in a signing ceremony at the Florida university, which is conveniently located less than an hour away from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
His “master plan” will push for the colonization of Mars by 2040, although Aldrin is keen on the year 2039 – as this marks the 70th anniversary of his own Apollo 11 moon landing (the first manned lunar landing in history). To reach the Red Planet, Aldrin plans to use Phobos and Deimos, Mars’ moons, as “stepping stones” for the astronauts.
However, the colonization process and travel to Mars, in general, is not something new. At the moment, NASA is currently working on its own projects to send astronauts to Mars by the mid-2030s.
Mars One, a Netherlands-based not-for-profit organization is also seeking to establish the first, permanent colony on the Red Planet, starting in 2024. The selling point of the venture is that it is a one-way ticket, as the technology to return from Mars is not yet feasible.
Aldrin’s “master plan” takes a slightly different route, as he dislikes the idea of “one way.” Instead, he is opting for tours of duty that would last roughly 10 years. He stated:
“The Pilgrims on the Mayflower came here to live and stay. They didn’t wait around Plymouth Rock for the return trip, and neither will people building up a population and a settlement” on Mars.
In the meantime, and before the launch of his plan, Buzz Aldrin will be serving as a research professor of aeronautics as well as a senior faculty advisor for the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute, which will open at the Florida Institute of Technology this fall.
