In our quest to explore deep space and expand our knowledge of the solar system, there have been many leaps and jumps made both in the technology used to gain this information and in the innovation of the people achieving it. The Mission to Mars is very audacious but is becoming more doable every year. In order to send humans to Mars, it will take much more work, and a lot of cooperation.
Sending Humans to Mars
NASA and the Planetary Society are working together to send humans to Mars, as seen on NASA’s website. Based on current projections, the first humans will land on Mars sometime in 2039. Bill Nye, the Planetary Society’s CEO, has described that there is no concrete spaceship yet that will take the astronauts to Mars. However, there are definitely a lot of plans in the works to cover all of the steps leading up to it.
Through the examination and investigation of the planet with the rovers that NASA has sent in the past to the red planet, they hope to gain insight and more information about the planet’s atmosphere and environment. This will help them to have better understanding of what the astronauts who visit will be up against when NASA finally does send humans to Mars.
Phobos is the First Step
In order to get to Mars successfully, the current line of thought is to send the astronauts to Phobos, one of Mars’ moons first. This will help get them close enough to further examine the planet and will help them to create a base of sorts so that if they have any issues on the red planet itself, they have somewhere to retreat to.
The atmosphere on Mars is extremely harsh because of its many gases that are potentially toxic to the astronauts. It will not be an easy mission to get people to Mars successfully, although there is much hope that it will be achieved. In order to get the astronauts to Phobos, they will undergo a long journey of approximately 30 months. These 30 months would then be split into the time it would take to get there and the time they would orbit the moon. These numbers would be 18 months and 12 months respectively.
The future of Mars
The ability to send humans to Mars, as seen at Mars One will not be one that is gained overnight. However, the future of space exploration looks very bright. Between all of the knowledge that has been acquired over the last several years and the ongoing enthusiasm and hunger for insight into the red planet, NASA and the Planetary Society are sure to have more concrete answers in the near future.
In the distant future, there is a concept blooming of having humans actually live on the red planet and to transform it into a second home of sorts. This mission is called Mars One and is the ultimate in the display of vision and dreams that these organizations truly have for space exploration. The future has never looked brighter for successfully sending humans to Mars as it does right now, and the whole planet anxiously awaits the glorious discoveries that will unfold.
“Austria In A Symphony” is a time-lapse movie showcasing some of natures most stunning visual imagery. From winter creeks, shooting stars and high mountain tops, this video will have you intrigued when thinking of the mystery of space.
https://youtu.be/NdAR74IHVT8
