Defending a budget that effectively cancels a program that would have returned humans to the moon by 2020, NASA’s top official said the space agency is looking beyond the lunar surface—to Mars.
In a statement, NASA administrator Charlie Bolden noted that the $3.8 trillion federal budget proposal handed down earlier this week by President Obama provides $3 billion over five years in funds “for robotic exploration precursor missions that will pave the way for human exploration of the moon, Mars, and nearby asteroids.” Bolden said robotic exploration is an essential precondition for manned missions to Earth’s closest celestial neighbors.
“These missions will inform us of the most interesting places to explore with humans, and validate our approaches to get them there safely and sustainably,” said Bolton.
NASA Plans Manned Missions To Mars InformationWeek
‘TEMPO 3’ Artificial Gravity Satellite On Mars Society’s To-Do List InformationWeek
A tethered spacecraft will spin through increasingly hi-fidelity testing in a lab, in zero gravity, and eventually space, as part of the next project chosen by the Mars Society.
The Mars Society announced Tuesday that the Tethered Experiment for Mars inter-Planetary Operations (TEMPO 3 or TEMPO cubed) is the favorite proposal chosen from members’ ideas for the group’s next project. The project aims to supplement research on the feasibility of long-term space flight for humans. Mars Society president Robert Zubrin said that while space agencies around the world have “chosen to study the effects of zero gravity on humans with no end in sight,” his group seeks to develop technology to provide humans with gravity in space.
“Similar problems existed in the past, when aircrews flew at high altitude and low oxygen levels,” he said in a news announcement. “The technological solution of providing oxygen was frowned upon by aviation doctors in favor of trying to ‘negate the effect’ of the low oxygen through medication. Today, flight crews use oxygen at high altitudes, and we expect astronauts to travel with gravity.”
Debate To Highlight Candidates’ Views On Space Exploration InformationWeek
Senators John McCain and Barack Obama will send representatives to a space policy debate this week.
The presidential candidates’ representatives will meet Thursday to discuss how their administrations will fund, prioritize, and advance space policy over the next several years. “This will be a perfect opportunity for the campaigns to articulate their policies,” Mars Society Executive Director Chris Carberry said in an announcement. “The next president will be in a unique position to move the space program forward. Space policy could also be key in the election; many of the ‘space states’ are too close to call in recent polls.”
McCain will send Apollo VII astronaut Walt Cunningham and Obama will send former NASA Associate Administrator Lori Garver to speak on the candidates’ behalf.
The Mars Society will host the debate at the University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Attendance is free and the event is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserved seating is available for groups.
The debate will take place during the 11th Annual International Mars Society Convention, which begins Thursday and ends Aug. 17. During the convention, industry leaders will review the latest developments from the Phoenix Mars Lander and recent data from the Cassini-Huygens mission orbiting Saturn.
Phoenix Mars Lander’s Robotic Arm Ready To Dig InformationWeek
After successfully marking a series of “firsts” for NASA, the Phoenix Mars Lander suffered radio problems, delaying the start of its main task: digging into frozen soil. NASA said the radio problems were short-lived and the UHF radio system has been restored.