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Stepping
Stone to Mars |
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"Anything one man can imagine, other
men can make real."
-Jules Verne
Future generations of space explorers will have
to relearn how to work and live on other planetary
surfaces for months and years at a time. Even now
astronauts are being trained
for geological sciences on other worlds in preparation
for these trips. The moon because of its closeness
to Earth, has much to offer as a first step in the
exploration of other worlds (such as Mars).
The moon can be used as a test bed
for the new technologies and equipment needed for
Mars exploration because of the similarities in the
two environments. It can serve as a base for training
human crews in long-duration space voyages and ways
of living on other worlds. In addition, continued
exploration of the Moon would help us to answer many
still unanswered questions about the Moon's origins
and composition.
Using the moon (which is only
three days away) as a stepping-stone before
we attempt long voyages to other worlds such as Mars
has certain advantages, including the possibility
of a life-saving rescue, the possibility of fast re-supply
of necessary or emergency equipment, the testing of
systems in a similar environment (low gravity, alien
surroundings, dust, radiation exposure, etc.) and
the possibility of a fast return to Earth in case
of illness or emergency. Developing lunar resources,
such as lunar oxygen from regolith (soil) or water
from south pole ice deposits, increases our motivation
to return to the Moon and could significantly enhance
the economics and feasibility of future lunar bases. |
The Apollo
missions demonstrate that no problem exists
for adaptation to low gravity for short periods.
Modern lunar exploration would extend stay time
on the lunar surface.
Coupled
with long duration in weightlessness in Earth
orbit, data could be efficiently accumulated to
predict how humans would perform on a Mars
mission.
The effects of galactic cosmic rays
and solar radiation on the crews could be measured.
Psychological issues raised by long duration in
isolation could also be studied.
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The predecessors of interplanetary
spacecraft would gather operational time in an Earth-Moon
transportation system. Data would be taken on system
reliability, maintenance, and performance. Lunar surface
life support systems could evolve into their martian
counterparts. Power, transportation, communication,
construction, and resource utilization can all be
elements of a lunar base that would be applicable
to a Mars mission. |
A heavy
lift launch vehicle is a natural element of a
lunar program but the demands on performance and
launch rate are not as high as in a Mars program.
In fact, they provide a natural training ground
for operations personnel and management and a
chance to make improvements in launch vehicles.
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Maintaining, refueling
and refurbishing vehicles on orbit provides the
experience from which to build an operations team
for future assembly of Mars spacecraft.
Because the moon is close
to the Earth and because it is possible to launch
small payloads to it with relatively small rockets,
the opportunity arises to involve students in the
exploration experience using robotics and telepresence,
and the internet. Students could accumulate data from
instruments on the moon and even direct some of the
instruments! It could provide for real interaction
between the scientists of tomorrow and the lunar explorers
of today. |
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While
a program to land humans on Mars is possible,
the large advances in operational and technical
capability required do present significant risks
for program failure as outlined above.
An immediate commitment to piloted missions to Mars
runs the risk of revisiting Apollo, a crash program
created by the political system that was cancelled
when the effort seemed no longer relevant. In the
process of human exploration of the solar system,
the establishment of a permanent presence on the
Moon is a necessary step in the steady progress
of technology, experience, and the understanding
of human capabilities in space. A lunar program
provides the opportunity to build up space capability
in an sequential way.
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During
the late 1960's and early 1970's, the Apollo program
demonstrated American technical strength in a race
against the Soviet Union to land humans on the Moon.
Today, NASA's plans for a return to the Moon are not
driven by the Cold War competition, but by the need
to test new exploration technologies and skills on
the path to Mars and beyond.
As a stepping
stone to Mars and beyond, NASA will begin its lunar
testbed program with a series of robotic missions
beginning with a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to be
launched in 2008. The Moon provides a convenient location
in which to develop and test a variety of exploration
tools and techniques. NASA will advance lunar science
and use the Moon to:
- test and develop hardware, software, and various
systems and components to determine how they operate
in harsh space environments;
- provide the opportunity to understand how crews
adapt and perform in a partial-gravity environment;
- test the autonomy of essential systems before
they are used in more distant destinations;
- test and enhance interactions between human explorers
and robots; and
- explore the possibility of using resources already
present on the Moon for power generation, propulsion,
and life support.
A robotic landing
will follow in 2009 to begin demonstrating capabilities
for sustainable exploration of the solar system. Additional
missions are planned to demonstrate new capabilities
such as robotic networks, reusable planetary landing
and launch systems, pre-positioned propellants, and
resource extraction. A human mission will follow as
early as 2015.
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Questions to think
about:
- Since you are too young to remember
the lunar landings, how would feel if we sent
a crew back to the Moon after 35 years?
- Would you be more excited about a human mission
to Mars? Why?
- Would you like to participate in a student
program using telepresence on another world? What
type of tasks would you like to do?
Next... Mission
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