Landing A Human On Mars In 30 Years

NASA aims for a Mars landing in 30 years

posted by Mark Matthews on Sep 4, 2009 6:03:58 PM

Discuss This: Comments (13) | TrackBack (0) | Linking Blogs | Add to del.icio.us | Digg it

WASHINGTON -- Forget racing to the moon. Some planners within NASA want the space agency to delay its mission of returning astronauts to lunar surface by 2020 and instead set its sights on Mars, according to an internal paper that surfaced Friday afternoon.

The six-page proposal (available below) envisions a 30-year plan for exploration. Access to low-Earth orbit, including the International Space Station, would be left to commercial rocket companies so NASA could focus on the “higher-risk development” of spacecraft “needed for the path to Mars.”

This plan does not rule out a return trip to the moon. But the moon and asteroids are viewed as “proving grounds” meant to help researchers develop technologies capable of reaching Mars -- a distinction from the Bush administration plan of establishing moon outposts.

“NASA must remain the world leader in human spaceflight and lead humankind to prepare for missions to Mars. We are going to Mars because it is civilization’s next major challenge,” notes the paper. “It is exciting, inspiring and what NASA should be doing.”

The proposal comes just days before an independent panel is expected to present options to President Barack Obama on what he should do with NASA, which has struggled to develop a successor to the space shuttle that’s due to retire in 2010 or 2011.

NASA’s current plan calls for the development of a new rocket called Ares 1 that would blast a new capsule called Orion into orbit. But Ares 1, under the Constellation program, faces major technical and financial problems and it appears unlikely to meet its goal of a first mission in 2015.

The panel, led by retired Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine, has acknowledged these problems. It is expected that the committee will present the White House with suggestions that include building a free-ranging spaceship capable of exploring the inner solar system.

The panel also likely will suggest an emphasis on using commercial rocket companies to reach low-Earth orbit, instead of Ares 1. It appears as if the NASA white paper recognizes this changing landscape and molds a Mars mission to the likely Augustine commission recommendations.

“NASA must pursue acquisition reform to lower the cost of space exploration and take steps to enable commercialization of LEO transportation services. We must understand the potential role or absence of Ares I and associated implications in this decision,” notes the paper.

It is unknown who wrote the paper, although NASA officials acknowledged it came from inside the agency. The proposal was published Friday afternoon on NASAWatch.com from unknown authors inside of NASA's Exploration Mission directorate, the same NASA division that runs Constellation.

Another uncertainty: whether there are competing white papers within the agency and how much power the authors wield within the agency. This could affect its chances of becoming real.

The Obama administration has resisted taking a public stance on NASA, waiting instead for the Augustine committee to finish its report before charting a course. In an interview this spring, Obama called NASA an agency “adrift” and that it needed to “restore … [a] sense of excitement.”

After the report became public, NASA released a statement that denied trying to influence the findings of the Augustine commission.

“A lot of people inside and outside of NASA are suggesting ideas in anticipation of the Augustine Committee's final report. This is not NASA's official position and we are not taking any steps that would get out in front of the committee's work.”