The second stage, also known as Proving Ground, involves carrying out various operations in deep space environments.
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“Nasa is closer to sending American astronauts to Mars than at any point in our history”, said Nasa Administrator Charles Bolden.
NASA is now working on the first phase of the three-step plan, gathering data on humans living overseas of the worldwide Space Station (ISS).
“Future Mars missions will represent a collaborative effort among NASA and its partners – a global achievement that marks a transition in humanity’s expansion as we go to Mars not just to visit, but to stay”.
Astronauts who journey to Mars could spend three years in deep space, where radiation is high and so are the risks of cancer, bone loss and immunity problems, said the document, called “Nasa’s Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration”.
While The Martian launches to the top of the box office, Congress is slamming the idea of sending real astronauts to the Red Planet.
These spaceflyers’ encounters are helping analysts and mission organizers better see how spaceflight influences the human body and psyche. That’s the only way we’ll survive as a species on Mars, Musk reportedly told Urban. It sounds farfetched, but NASA also wants to have a spacecraft land on one of Mars’ moons. Maybe by the time the next giant asteroid heads our way, we’ll have the technology to shield the planet or redirect the space rock.
Another main challenge they lay out is “recognition that achieving Earth Independence will take decades and can be impacted by multiple uncertain events”.
In September, the entire science community was stunned after NASA released a report about the presence of water on Mars.
“What we thought we knew about water on Mars is constantly being put to the test”, said Michael Meyer, one of NASA’s lead scientists.
In his blog post, Urban gives us another way to think about it: Imagine Earth as a hard drive, and every species is a word document saved on that hard drive. But instead of promoting a blockbuster movie, the Red Planet is settling a centuries-old debate: Is there liquid water on Mars? Adding “it is only a collection of handsome pictures with attractive words, which is not going to get us to Mars”.
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William Gerstenmaier of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations division explained that the plan is created to reach ambitious goals while it would also provide resilience to budgetary cuts, shifts in ‘political priorities, ‘ technological breakthroughs and new partnerships.
