Mankind Ready for Mars
April 5, 2030 - The international collaboration for the first manned mission to Mars presented today the final plans for the trip next year. Take off will be January 24 and after about five months in space they will land on Martian soil on June 28. The countdown for one of the greatest adventures ever has started.
There were 16 astronauts in the team when preparations for the trip commenced four years ago. Last year seven of them left and the five that was announced to make the final crew are still accompanied by four people in the backup team.
A significant adjustment that they are preparing for is that the day on Mars is 40 minutes longer than on Earth. It might not sound that much, but after only nine days your time is off six hours compared to Earth time. The long trip there without any knowledge of day or night also complicates the perception of time, which is important for the crew to stay alert.
When they land they will have supply, equipment and their return vehicle waiting for them, which was sent there during the previous launching window about 18 months ago. That will hopefully keep them occupied during the 600 days that they have to stay on Mars before they can return home to earth, due to the position of the planets.
Even though the mission is one of the greatest mankind has taken on, it is not in comparison with the brave adventurers exploring the earth during the past milleniums not knowing what to find. This time we at least have nice brochures with full color photos of where we are heading. The biggest challenge is if the human body and mind are adjustable for interplanetary missions.
The main issue to solve for a manned mission to Mars has been the radiation that the vehicle and crew will be exposed to during the trip. The radiation that affect the astronauts the most will be the solar energetic particles from the activity of the sun, and the galactic cosmic rays from outside our solar system. The fact that the 11-year solar activity cycle reaches a peak during the trip, increasing the occurrence of solar energetic particles, makes the task even more difficult.
However, the successful development of shield material with a high rate of absorbing particle radiation has made it possible. Even though a lot of extensive testing has been made it is hard to know exactly how the human body will react to the exposure of radiation during such a long time in zero gravity, and how much the immune system will be reduced. The crew will be exposed to risks that no other human beings have before.
It was a great achievement by the human race to put the manned Apollo 11 on the moon more than 60 years ago, considered the technological limitations of that time, especially compared to today. But since the human itself is the weak link this time, the words from Neil Armstrong might need to be re-phrased when we see the first footprint on the surface of Mars next year: "Quite a big step for mankind, but a giant leap for the human being."
Argument: Several organizations plan to put the first man on Mars by year 2030 and most likely it will done in a collaboration between those due to giant costs. According to Nasa the most likely way to go will be a "Long-Stay Mission (fast transit)" with 4-6 months to get there and a 600 days stay before returning.
Questions: What events will take place on earth in relation to the mission and when the human race will be absorbed by the climax, the landing on Martian soil? What possibilities will occur due to the exploration of Mars this century? What will be the next step in interplanetary exploration?
January 19, 2035 - According to the latest statistics presented this week, 1 million hydrogen-fueled cars have now been sold in the US. The figures for last year show an increase in sales by 50% from 2033.
January 8, 2035 - With a first prize of seven million US dollar and the intriguing plot of trying to fool or outsmart Arnold, the most advanced artificial intelligence in public use, the much hyped live show “Fooling Arnold” became the people’s choice this Saturday.
December 20, 2030 - The launch yesterday of the virtual realistic-looking human newscaster from Simple News gained rave reviews. Others have made several attempts earlier, but this sends the live newscasters in to a pretty shaky future.
December 18, 2020 - This year shows strong growth for wind power when the total global installed capacity added a record 62,000 MW, making the total capacity more than 680,000 MW. Wind power is by far the renewable source with the largest growth in worldwide capacity during the last decade.
December 15, 2030 - There's no doubt what the most popular Christmas present will be this year. Influenced by the launch of the first manned mission to Mars next month, you will most likely get a present with stars, a gift card for a spacetrip.
November 19, 2040 - Today was a historic day for Iceland when their President this morning at a symbolic ceremony officially shut down the last gasoline pump in the country. Iceland is a model country when it comes to the fuel transition from gasoline to hydrogen and became today the first country in the world to complete it.
September 21, 2050 - At a press conference today it was announced that the first tourist heading for Mars will be the 38-year-old US businessman Patrick Clifford. He will leave the earth in the launching window of June 2052 and set his foot on the surface of Mars in November, together with the other 6 astronauts assigned for the mission to further explore the planet.
September 12, 2035 - Are you kidding? Is it possible to beam myself? No, of course not, but you can now make a 3-D projection of yourself anywhere in the world. The first product for real teleimmersion has been released, the Telebeamer.
September 5, 2035 - More than 20,000 quadriplegics around the world have now got a BCI, a Brain Computer Interface. It gives them the ability to control their environment, from driving their own electric wheelchairs outside their house, to make their own dinner.
Comments:
Hopefully if the Mars enthusiasts of the world(like the people at www.marsdrive.com) have anything to say about it the date for the first Mission to Mars will be about 2020-22.
Posted by: Frank Stratford
I hope you are right. However, it would most likely need quite a lot of private capital. If you solve the technical parts and sell the TV rights worldwide 5-10 years in advance, you maybe stand a chance. Or are there other plans to finance it?
Posted by: Pontus Edenberg
Tex Rogers has recently announced the opening of the Crater Hotel on Mars. See the publicity shot of Tex standing at the windows of one of the rooms ... Oh what a view!
(http://static.flickr.com/123/322975326_3862ab33a0.jpg)
Posted by: dale rogers
Fantastic article. I think there may be other ways to travel the galaxy, including teleportation and stargate as shown in the movie.
Posted by: Nate
what ever listed above will be happening partially and in the coming future the above concepts cannot be fulfilled,not only by 2035 but never can happpen completely
Posted by: ashok
Will they go to the Cydonia region?
Posted by: Bob!
Honestly, i think the REAL reason behind this mission to mars is to start over again. let's face it: we screwed over on earth. why not just conquer another planet and trash that one too?? humankind is so wasteful. they leave garbage wherever they go. I mean, look at the lunar mission of 1969---they left half a rocket on the moon!!! gee, no wonder we have so many enviromental problems...
Posted by: AnnaBella
and also, if we do finally plan on colonizing on mars, it will be a difficult task for mars settlers. "Martians" will need a useful primary export to pay off the vast imports coming from earth.
Posted by: AnnaBella
Simple solution, Pontus Edenburg. Taxpayers money! Oh, good article by the way - though I'm fairly certain 1969 was considerably less than 60 years ago...
Nate, movies aren't real. We cannot, as of this time, teleport atoms or create "stargates", and that sure as hell ain't happening for the next several centuries.
Posted by: Ryan
Mars is currently valued at 75% of the fair value of planet earth.
Posted by: Banker
yes
Posted by: vanessa
What happens if mars is already occupied?
Posted by: Lilith Kalistar
If we find any Martians we can always send them to either of Mars' two moons, Deimos & Phobos. Of course we'll call the moons "reservations"...
Posted by: Ottoman
Exploring the solar system, and ulimately colonizing moons, planets and asteroids will be of great benefit to humanity. Well worth the initial investment as far as I'm concerned.
I only hope I will get to see humanity get off its ass and invest in its future while I'm still alive.
Posted by: Steve
It will eventually happen, It just needs the money.
I hope i'm alive to see the day when mars is flagged by mankind, not america, or any country for that matter.
oh and Ryan, landing on the moon was just over 60 years ago according to this article which is fictionally written in the year 2030.
Posted by: Dylan
nate... stop watching movies stargates will never excist.... pls stop watching fantasy stuff >=(
Posted by: timmy!!!
We have already been to Mars, along with Russia. There was a very rare video online about it about 10 years ago, but it appears to have been destroyed from all sources.. I still look for it once in a while. Anyways, I think the 2030 date is probably accurate for a 'public' announcement of a trip..but we won't be told much at all of anything they find.. They will probably also wear spacesuits to make you believe there is no atmosphere...
Posted by: Joe
I believe that man can establish a community in mars.
Posted by: Filipino
The year 2030 sounds about right. There are a lot of technical problems to solve, and, consequently, test the hell out of, before any manned mission can be undertaken.
As for the economical gain, mars, like most non gaseous planets is rich in raw metal deposits. The bigger problem will be constructing an enormous mining facility, preferably mobile and mostly automated, to extract said deposits.
But the question I'm asking myself is this: Why Mars? What I'm saying is there's nothing on Mars(that we know of) to justify such an enormous cost (save good old fashioned human curiosity).
A much better approach would be to concentrate on Luna (Earth's moon) in view of it's proximity and functionality. For instance, would it not be appropriate to construct an international station on Luna's surface that could be used to train astronauts, experiment with new technology and most importantly constructing new spacecraft...
All this because Luna's gravity is practically nonexistant in comparison to Earth and Mars. Biotechnology, computer and spacefaring technology would benefit greatly. The cost for it shared by all interested countries on earth.
And when technology has progressed sufficiently to allow us to "backpack through the solar system" then and only then we start building, colonizing and mining other planets and their moons in the solar system.
It's a lot more cost effective, Earth would benefit greatly from the research and it would bypass any infantile "before their time" exploration missions that would take valuable time, money and most importantly lives.
In other words, taking giant leaps for mankind when mankind is mature enough for them, at least technologically speaking.
What do you guys think?
Posted by: bitomic
maybe this could happen with investing and support. we just need the NASA scientists to get off their ass and actually work
Posted by: shashank
already 6 people have been sent to mars in 2010 and will return in 2012
Posted by: asdf
I don't know if the technology exists yet but I believe money is more of an issue than technology on this planet. Especially, when it comes to getting things done. If you have enough zeroes behind the dollar sign, and first digit, anything can be done. It kind of makes me think of; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", except we put money, technology, and things in place of Christ.
Man is quite the intelligent beast and the possibility of man landing, and surveying the planet Mars does exist. We have set ourselves up for it with Spirit and Opportunity, and next year's predicted launch of the Mars Science Laboratory is proof positive. The samples that the MSL gathers, will tell us far more about the ability to inhabit a planet that evidentially suffers from extremely long sand or dust storms. We also need to ascertain more information regarding weather, atmosphere, and climate of rusty-colored Mars. I would theorize that by 2030, we may well see manned spacecraft to Mars where the astronauts physically research the land on Mars on foot.
Posted by: Renee
We can adjust to anything, well as long as its not too extreme.
I was hoping days on Mars were longer than 40 minutes because I definitely do not have enough hours on my Earth days.
Posted by: Nutritional Supplements
I really hope we don't wait until 2030 for a manned mars mission!
If we had followed the plan the Bush Admin put in place several years ago, we could be watching astronauts step onto the martian surface RIGHT NOW!
Worst part, the "Stimulus", $700 billion? That was the estimated cost for that plan. I would have much rather seen the US announce to the world that we're back baby! Americans on Mars, suck it! We could have reasserted ourselves as the dominant power.
Instead we spent all that money just to stay at zero. Absolutely no advancement came of it.
Posted by: Robert M
why are we going back, isn't that where some of our current human species came from? Someone lived there, destroyed it and came here,,now we go back...for what? Guess we have to learn from the history that is already there,,,,
Posted by: cbj
in my theory i believe in aliens . and they are so much advanced than us because they been here longer than us and their technology is ridiculously advanced . we just need time for we can learn from our mistakes and give time for our technology that is for the future.& we are a different type of species meaning we got to be careful of what is out there. but soon if the human being doesn't keep fcukin up the world would be the greatest becouse everyone would be part of the plan :p
Posted by: peter j
Omg this sucks, i wish i was born in 2010. Im 15 now so ill be 30 in 2030... grr this sucks ill only behable to live til 2070 or 2080 if i die of age... >:c stupid 1996 so old
Posted by: Unknown