Would we be able to send man to mars soon? Or is it impossible?

[ThatKerbal]

I was reading about NASA Trying to send something to mars and i thought it was man and i was sooo excited that man actually landed on mars, But then i read it was just a rover.

Are we going to be able to send man to mars soon? Will 2014 Be another Achievement for the Human Race? Or is it impossible?

[Roastduck]

NASA won't be able to send a human to Mars until the Orion is operational, and that won't be until at least 2021.

[ThatKerbal]

Forgive me, What is the orion? I know its a rocket but, Like details?

But really? 2021? What's NASA Gonna be doing all that time?

[TheSaint]

If NASA's budget hadn't been slashed in the post-Apollo years we'd probably already have been there.

[ThatKerbal]

Oh, Okay. What do you think NASA will be doing while they are working on their Orion. I'm not sure but when did they find that face looking hill thing on mars? When they got the rover there?

[Themohawkninja]

I doubt NASA will be the one to pull it off. Their budget has basically gotten re-distributed to the private sector.

SpaceX will probably be the people that put the first men on Mars. When they will do it, and what the details are, I have no idea, but I'd bet on SpaceX doing the Mars landing over NASA.

[crazyewok]

Its possible but wont be buy the 2020's and its not just NASA or the Russians but some private companys like mars One have there eye on mars by the mid 2020's.

[ThatKerbal]

Hmm, Why won't NASA Do it? Did they make some wrong budget decisions or something?

[crazyewok]

Hmm, Why won't NASA Do it? Did they make some wrong budget decisions or something?

It not that they wont. Its just that it wont be till the mid 2020's.

They have a very limited budget. The US government would rather spend the money on bombs, aid to states and groups with dubious motives and half baked welfare systems than spend it on space and since the 70's its budget has gotten smaller and smaller. The average Twinkie eating pop idol watching Merikan just doesn't want there tax money spent on space.

Edited January 10, 2014 by crazyewok

[razark]

The technology exists to send a manned mission to Mars. The problem is funding it.

NASA/JAXA/ESA/Russia should all get together to do joint missions. Invite the Chinese as well. There's no profit in going to Mars yet, and profit is what gets private companies to do things. The private space industry is beginning, and has started carrying out missions to supply ISS, launch satellites, and such. Let them handle research and supply for profit in LEO. The government programs should be doing the missions that private companies aren't ready or willing to handle, like going to Mars.

[minerman30]

I say we have NASA build the landers and SpaceX send them up.

[CrotalusAtrox]

Possible? Oh yes! Quite possible... it's a shame, though, that the world evaluates ambitious endeavors based on how large the profit margin is.

[TelluriumCrystal]

Elon Musk wants to retire on Mars, so I suspect that SpaceX will likely end up being the first to make it there. I, for one, think it is a good thing that the private sector is finally stepping into space, as they generally get things done faster, more efficiently, and cheaper than the government can. Though it is sad to see NASA being gutted by Congress.

[Klingon Admiral]

We could probably send a man (or woman, for that matter) to Mars in a few years, maybe even months. Doing that while keeping them alive and bringing them back, that's a whole different beast.

[Seret]

Are we going to be able to send man to mars soon?

No, not safely.

There's a shortage of the kind of heavy lift required for such a big mission. We also have no experience with manned flight over that distance, we'd need to work up and validate a number of technologies before a full mission would be viable.

[NASAFanboy]

While I am fully confident that we can send an crew to Mars in less than six months, and that the upcoming SLS will have Mars capability, I am uncertain about the life support technologies and the return trip.

Personally, I would say we could get to Mars in 5-10 years if we wanted, but unfortunately, Obama has an obssession with space rocks.

[Motokid600]

What's the point of sending men/women to Mars? What can humans do that rovers cant? Yea we can turn over better rocks for study, but as is.. that's about it. We need unmanned missions first to build a foundation. When humans do arives at Mars there needs to be an outpost up and running.

Forget Mars, forget the moon, forget putting humans into space if its to just wave a flag. No more of that. Give these people something to build when they get there.

Edited January 13, 2014 by Motokid600

[ROFLCopter64bit]

What's the point of sending men/women to Mars? What can humans do that rovers cant? Yea we can turn over better rocks for study, but as is.. that's about it. We need unmanned missions first to build a foundation. When humans do arives at Mars there needs to be an outpost up and running.

Forget Mars, forget the moon, forget putting humans into space if its to just wave a flag. No more of that. Give these people something to build when they get there.

To see the plausibility of humans living on an extraterrestrial planet become true, and to see what can be improved to make it easier for new settlements.

[Themohawkninja]

To see the plausibility of humans living on an extraterrestrial planet become true, and to see what can be improved to make it easier for new settlements.

Don't forget the P.R. and contracts!

[razark]

What can humans do that rovers cant?

They can think.

[Seret]

They can think.

For now, rovers aren't very autonomous, they have humans directing their actions. So there is someone in the loop who can think. As time goes on, they'll become capable of doing much more on their own. Whether you'd call this type of algorithmic decision making "thinking" is one for the philosophers IMO. For me, if it quacks like a duck...

[Comrade Jenkens]

I'm pretty sure that we have the technology to go to Mars but not the money or political willpower

[TelluriumCrystal]

I'm pretty sure that we have the technology to go to Mars but not the money or political willpower

Oh we definitely have the money. It's basically a public opinion and political issue.

[vetrox]

Did anyone watch stargazing live last week? (or was it the week before?)

Theres still issues that need to be solved before sending men to mars. One of the biggest being bone and muscle loss from zero G.

[crazyewok]

Did anyone watch stargazing live last week? (or was it the week before?)

One of the biggest being bone and muscle loss from zero G.

Which could very well be sorted with the NautitliuS X http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautilus-X But NASA in there bureaucratic wisdom canned research on the ISS in centrifugal gravitys.