Building A Habitat On The Moon Is Necessary Before Heading Towards Mars: NASA Scientist

Updated on: 20 June 2017 8:37 pm

Building a habitat on the moon and staying there for a long period was a necessary first step before man can make his journey to Mars, a top NASA scientist has said.

“It is probably five to six months to get to Mars, a year to stay there till it is lined back up for the return journey. You really are talking two to three years just to go to Mars and come back. So how do you keep them that long, protect them from radiation. And make sure they have the supplies for the long journey,” explained Lt. Gen. Larry D. James, deputy director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA.

He disclosed that the human capacity to withstand radiation and other effects of long stay in space was already being tested out in the space station where astronauts spend over a year in space. The next step would be a prolonged stay in the lunar environment, he said. “Sometime in early 2030s we are looking at a manned mission to Mars and back,” he told reporters in Chennai.

As for the rocket technology needed for the journey to Mars, James explained that more powerful versions of the present day rockets with chemical propellants, would be used to carry the astronauts as it would be faster he said.

The Space Launch System, the rocket designed to carry astronauts to Mars would be tested in 2019.

“Though we have electric propulsion rockets that can travel long distances, they are however slow. It would take them three years to reach Mars. So the electric propelled rockets would be sent out early to ferry supplies for astronauts who would leave later,” said the expert.

Asked who would reach Mars first - NASA or Elon Musk – the general replied, “We wish him luck. He has changed the face of rocketry with the recovery of the first stage so if he can get to Mars that is a great victory of the entrepreneurial spirit.” He compared the Mars trip to early expeditions to Antarctica, go there on short trips see the conditions and return before going back and setting up a permanent station.

Is NASA stepping aside and letting the private players take over space exploration? “Their business model is getting into lower cost orbit. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson – they are trying to lower the cost of orbit and get humans there. That is a good thing. But doing the science, which is what NASA does, there in not a lot of money to be made in that. So you will not find the others building missions to measure soil moisture or gravity. NASA is about answering all those science questions.”