Mars is the finish line of the latest space race but who will win first place? It turns out mankind has put aside their competitive ways for this one. The world’s top competitors, NASA, SpaceX, and MarsOne are all in this together.
MARS ONE TACKLES THE SAFETY ASPECTS FOR SPACEX AND NASA
Safety is, of course, an important aspect of space travel and no man realizes this more than Mars One CTO Arno Wielders perhaps. In a recent Q&A, Wielder addresses the dangers of radiation levels that astronauts will face and how we can best minimize the risks. Of course, SpaceX and NASA are concerned about this too, but it’s easy to get lost in the glitz and glam of space travel. Thankfully, Wielders is keeping these risks in the forefront of the missions.
NASA WORKING ON THE ROBOTICS FOR MARS ONE AND SPACEX
While Mars One focuses on eliminating danger to astronauts, NASA is looking to send a robotic mission into deep space to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon. Astronauts aboard this Orion Spacecraft will explore the asteroid in the 2020s and bring back samples to earth. In the future, red planet missions will rely on Orion so it’s essential the robotics for this mission evolve appropriately. Now, it’s up to SpaceX to take care of the rest.
SPACEX IS MAKING BETTER ROCKETS THAN NASA TO SEND TO MARS
Elon Musk has the plan to send a Dragon capsule to the red planet in 2018. The Dragon is a massive success, despite the mysterious explosion occurring last month. Nevertheless, Musk and his private space company will continue on to send a Dragon capsule up to space. That’s just the beginning, though. Elon Musk has further plans to colonize the red planet. While it’s unlikely whether other companies, both private and public, will jump on board, it’s fair to assume someone will. It will also be interesting to see where Blue Origin’s role plays out in this.
