Oct 24, 2008 08:40 AM
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Buzz Aldrin has stepped from his pedestal once again to talk about the space program. No longer content to bash science fiction for destroying interest in real space exploration, Aldrin has turned his attention to a crewed mission to Mars, saying that if we do send humans to the Red Planet, we shouldn’t bother bringing them back to Earth.
In 1969, it took just eight days to reach the moon but, as Aldrin notes, getting a manned spacecraft to Mars would take the better part of a year. After all that time and expense, a trip to Mars might not be worthwhile unless the astronauts were there long term:
"That's why you [should] send people there permanently," said Aldrin. "If we are not willing to do that, then I don't think we should just go once and have the expense of doing that and then stop."
He asked: "If we are going to put a few people down there and ensure their appropriate safety, would you then go through all that trouble and then bring them back immediately, after a year, a year and a half?"
Currently, NASA’s Constellation program plans for a manned mission to Mars in 2030. Under the current plan, the crew’s return vehicle would arrive ahead of the actual expedition ship. But NASA is also scheduled to break ground on the lunar outpost in 2019, and there could be a fully operational base on the moon by 2024. If the lunar outpost proves a success, it might make sense for humans to erect similar colonies on Mars, where oxygen and water are more readily available. Of course, the challenge would be finding colonists willing to sacrifice a terrestrial existence in the name of the Martian frontier:
"They need to go there more with the psychology of knowing that you are a pioneering settler and you don't look forward to go back home again after a couple a years," he said.
"At age 30, they are given an opportunity. If they accept, then we train them, at age 35, we send them. At age 65, who knows what advances have taken place. They can retire there, or maybe we can bring them back."
Mars pioneers should stay there permanently, says Buzz Aldrin [Physorg via Universe Today]
Send an email to Lauren Davis, the author of this post, at lauren@io9.com.
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