Expeditions to Mars have captivated humanity's attention more than once, dating back to the space race in the 1960s. Now this is no longer a fantasy, but a matter of time and resources. In 2020, missions of several organizations will start and continue to prepare for the development of new planet and bring closer the realization of the main goal - the colonization of Mars.
NASA Mars 2020 Mission
The Mars 2020 rover mission is part of NASA's long-running program to study the Red Planet. The main goal of the project is a reconnaissance mission of the planet's surface, which will answer many fundamental questions. For example, was there life on Mars, were there traces of habitable conditions in the past on its surface, or signs of the existence of bacteria and other microorganisms.
In addition, the tasks of Mars 2020 include collecting information and testing technologies that will be used by colonizers in the future. The program will test the production of oxygen from the local atmosphere, search for minerals and resources (for example, groundwater), regulate planting processes, determine weather, dust concentrations, etc.
The Mars 2020 project is a rover that will be sent from Earth in July/August 2020 (as reported on the project's official website). The rover will move along the surface in an unusual way: Using built-in helicopter blades. Thus, it will seem to “jump”, rising up, spilling a certain distance and landing on the ground. However, the helicopter can only fly 3-4 times a day because the rover is equipped with a small solar panel. This decision was made to maintain minimal weight of the device. Otherwise, he would not be able to fly in the local air density.
The expedition to the surface of the planet will last at least one Martian year (687 days). During this period there will be a collection necessary information, including soil samples, which are subsequently planned to be transported to Earth for further study in a specialized laboratory.
ExoMars
Another program to study the Red Planet is EXOMARS 2016-2020. It is developed and controlled by the European Space Agency and the Russian government organization Roscosmos. The program includes two missions:
- Launch of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) in 2016.
- Flight of the rover to Mars in 2020.
The ExoMars program is aimed at surface exploration and demonstration of new technologies that will be used by a future expedition. Her tasks include:
- reentry, descent and landing of payload;
- testing mobility on the surface of Mars;
- access to subsoil and obtaining samples.
Interesting: One of ExoMars' priority goals is to participate in an international mission to return samples back to Earth.
The TGO orbiter was sent back in 2016. He successfully arrived in Mars orbit and is now performing the required research. TGO's tasks include studying the components of the atmosphere: in particular, methane and other gases, water vapor. In addition, it will act as a relay satellite to communicate with the Mars rover, which will be launched in 2020.
The rover is equipped with equipment for collecting soil and other samples of the planet. Its tasks include the study of exobiology and geochemistry. Roscosmos is providing the Proton launcher for both missions.
SpaceX
Elon Musk is planning a “human” expedition to Mars in 2024. At the moment, construction is underway on a spaceship and a rocket that will take the ship to orbit. This task will be assigned to the Falcon 9 rocket. It is a two-stage launch vehicle that is designed for reusable use.
The ability to bring the first stage back and reuse it has significantly reduced the costs of spaceflight. For example, launching Falcon Heavy cost SpaceX about $90 million, while launching a similar rocket from ULA (a Boeing company) would cost at least $400 million. If scientists manage to return the second stage, this will save even more money for the exploration of outer space.
In May 2018, Elon Musk presented the design of the Crew Dragon manned spacecraft, which will take people to Mars. Initially, it will undergo test flights, including transporting a payload to the ISS. And in the future it will be tested by pilots who will also go to the ISS.
Inspiration Mars Foundation
She announced her intention to organize a flight to Mars in 2018 non-profit organization Inspiration Mars Foundation (foundation), founded by Dennis Tito in 2013. The company planned to take advantage of a special orbital period in January 2018, which allows it to reach Mars orbit with minimal fuel consumption. An additional window is planned for 2021 if the mission cannot be implemented in 2018.
The proposal was based on a free return trajectory. The manned spacecraft was supposed to enter Mars orbit through the orbit of Venus and Earth, and return back to Earth after 501 days. This campaign was subject to significant criticism from government and independent organizations.
At the moment, there is no up-to-date information about the activities of the fund, since their official website is blocked.
Mars One
is a private project of the Dutch organization Mars One and Interplanetary Media Group under the leadership of Bas Lansdorp. The program involves a one-way expedition to Mars. The company positions itself as a non-profit organization. However, it offers a way to generate income from the expedition in the form of filming and further selling documentaries about the preparation and implementation of the mission.
The implementation of the project involves a phased implementation. Starting in 2020, the first landing module will be launched onto the surface of the planet to collect information for the expedition. By 2026, residential modules will be built on Mars with the help of robotics, equipment and other payloads will be transported. The flight of the first spacecraft with people is planned for 2026. The next ships with people will be sent in 2028 and 2029. By 2035, the organization expects to build a colony for 20 people.
However, the Mars One organization has repeatedly been heavily criticized and accused of misconduct for the purpose of obtaining material gain. In Russian documentary film"Discovering Mars" its leaders were bluntly called fraudsters.
Elon Musk dreams of colonizing Mars: video
Based on materials from: 2020-god.com
The dream of exploring Mars has long gone out of fashion. At the same time, it is absolutely unclear what the person wants to achieve there.
The astronauts trudge through the rust-red sand, euphoric from the historic moment and low gravity. Of course they have a camera with them. It takes a quarter of an hour for the first video to reach Earth. And here it is, a message from a distance of 270 million kilometers - “Mars welcomes humanity.”
Will this happen soon? Will people end up on Mars in the near future? This may be the impression these days. Over the past week, NASA's completed experiment has sparked intense reactions. Six young researchers lived in isolation in the highlands of Hawaii for one year to simulate life on Mars. A few months ago, the head of Space X and Tesla, Elon Musk, said that already in 2025 he plans to begin colonizing our neighboring planet.
Shimmering Ruby
Of course, you can dream 40 years after the robot first landed on the soft sand of Mars. But for now it is nothing more than a dream - a controlled landing on Mars. Overall, this dream should disappoint all its fans. After all, over the past decades, humanity has come virtually no closer to its realization. And so far there is no reason to talk about changes in the near future.
From the Earth's side, Mars looks promising - a shimmering ruby in the night sky, onto which dreamers and science fiction writers have long projected their desire for distant travels. A place that many would like to visit, without knowing exactly why.
Controlled landing on Mars is a dream that disappoints
If you look at Mars from a close distance, it loses its charm. This is an icy desert with an average temperature of about minus 50 degrees, where sandstorms can rage for many months. The surface of Mars is dotted with salts; it lacks both a magnetic field and an ozone layer, which protected living beings from radiation from space.
People could survive here with the help of high technology, in limited habitats where climate control systems would convert carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into oxygen. Colonists must endure 500 days. Only then will Mars again approach Earth at a distance sufficient for a return flight. At least that’s what the researchers’ concept looks like.
World-weary pioneers of Mars
Another option, offered by private initiatives like Mars One, is to travel without a return flight. Thousands of people have applied online to make history as world-weary pioneers of Mars. Experts agree that volunteers will never fly to Mars. Too big financial risks private initiatives.
NASA's plans look much more thoughtful. Since the 90s, mission developments have been on the desks of researchers and are constantly updated. Thus, in the 2030s, for the first time, a small spacecraft with habitable modules, supplies and a nuclear mini-reactor may be sent to Mars. In two years, astronauts could follow them and return to Earth after their stay on the red planet.
However, so far NASA is moving along this plan in roundabout ways. The new SLS launch vehicle and the Orion spacecraft are currently being developed. Both devices are focused on lunar exploration. In the 2020s, astronauts plan to target an asteroid that will first be detected by spacecraft and placed in lunar orbit. Does this pass? effective preparation Americans to fly to Mars is a controversial issue.
Faster than NASA
Elon Musk plans to get to Mars faster. Already in 2018, the Space X space capsule weighing eight to ten tons should land on the planet. That would make it ten times heavier than the heaviest payload NASA has ever sent to Mars. In the end, Musk thus plans to establish regular cargo deliveries to Mars - to create infrastructure for People who can land on Mars in 2025.
NASA may throw these plans into disarray. For the agency, landing on a desert planet is not an easy topic. On the one hand, NASA's plans to send humans to Mars give it popularity. Mars features in the public works of NASA and other space agencies. On the other hand, too specific statements are fraught with danger. Every detailed plan has its price. And an overly expensive budget can quickly cause a project to stall in political debate. This is what NASA faced when George W. Bush announced plans to send humans to Mars by 2018 in 1989. This was supposed to cost up to $540 billion, which was immediately criticized by opponents of the project.
To this day, the main reason for skepticism among political leaders is the fact that a mission to Mars will not bring clearly identifiable profits. This could be a problem for Musk as well. Why is it necessary to send people at great expense across space and at the same time risk their lives?
New continent
Supporters of the project have three arguments ready. First, landing on Mars will give impetus to the search for extraterrestrial life. Earth's neighboring planet may have been warm, abundant water, unlike Earth, billions of years ago. Perhaps life began there, perhaps it continued in the form of microbes. Humans are better able to search for such organisms than robots.
The second reason is that Mars can ensure the survival of humanity. If a comet falls, nuclear war or a man-made disaster, the Earth will become uninhabitable - a desert planet can become an accessible refuge.
But the most favorite argument is related to a person’s craving for finds. By landing on Mars, humanity will, to a certain extent, enter a new continent, the unexplored America of the 21st century. This, of course, comes with hardships. But nevertheless, such undertakings are worth it, because they expand a person’s horizons, according to supporters of the project.
The cost of space travel skyrockets when humans fly into space instead of robots.
Work in the service of science, life insurance, colossal cultural finds - these reasons, unfortunately, are untenable. Thus, many researchers have mixed feelings about the project of landing humans on Mars. The cost of space travel increases significantly when humans are sent into space instead of robots. Perhaps this money will not be enough to build telescopes or new research satellites. And in fact, humans are not that necessary to search for microbes on Mars. As its next major project, NASA plans to use a special SUV to collect soil samples from the surface of Mars and send them back to Earth. People on Mars cannot do anything more significant.
Also, avoid devoting too much of the research budget to Mars. Perhaps it has never been such a cheerful planet as PR specialists from space organizations paint it. Perhaps it was simply an ice-encrusted planet on which glaciers periodically melted due to volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts.
Last refuge
In this case main reason for the permanent settlement of Mars is the fear of a global catastrophe on Earth. Whether it will be possible to really save humanity with the help of an external refuge on Mars is unclear. The chances of a colony surviving without regular supplies from Earth are very slim.
But what cannot be doubted is the historical importance of the journey to the red planet. Photos of people kicking up Martian dust will remain in the memory of an entire generation. But is this enough to generate the necessary political will?
The Martian adventure will cost hundreds of billions of francs. And SpaceX's cheaper rocket launches won't cut those costs much. Thus, financing becomes a big challenge, even for the currently incredible coalition of the US, EU, Russia and China. Today, the annual budget of NASA, which, as before, sets the tone in astronautics, is $18 billion. In its heyday during the Apollo program in the 60s, it was twice as large.
To plug these holes, we need a new, compelling reason to send humans to Mars. A business model that will attract public and private investors. Or another impulse besides collecting geological samples. As long as there is no such motive, landing on Mars remains what it was before - a dream with great potential for disappointment.
At the beginning of the new century, several giants of the space industry set a course to conquer the Red Planet. We are talking not only about manned flights, but also about robotic missions that will extract necessary knowledge and will create conditions for safe human expeditions.
Perhaps the most comprehensive and thoughtful strategy was developed by NASA. It includes a lot of research into the human body and the creation of technologies that will gradually take us away from Earth and closer to Mars. The American space agency is taking confident steps: for example, it has already studied the long-term effect of weightlessness on humans using the example of ISS astronauts Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly, supported an experiment to simulate life in a Martian colony, and developed a device for landing cargo on the planet.
The company SpaceX, whose owner Elon Musk dreams of creating an autonomous city of a million people on the Red Planet, is famous for its even more ambitious plans. To do this, at a minimum, it is necessary to create a super-heavy rocket and a fleet of reusable ships. Musk is working hard on this: for example, in early February, his company launched one of the highest lifting rockets in history - Falcon Heavy, two of the three stages of which successfully returned to Earth.
A joint project to explore Mars has been implemented for several years by the alliance of the European Space Agency and Roscosmos. The ExoMars project is primarily focused on searching for signs of life on the planet, but it also aims to identify threats to future manned missions. In addition, Russia, with the participation of many international organizations, several years ago conducted the Mars 500 experiment, which simulated the main features of a manned flight to Mars in conditions of isolation of the crew.
Many other countries also have plans to explore the Red Planet - India, China, the United States United Arab Emirates, as well as from private organizations (for example, the Mars One project). In total, these are more than ten initiatives around the world, often implemented for several years. And yet it is worth recognizing that we are still very far from manned missions on an interplanetary scale. What is missing from humanity’s “suitcase of technology” in order to go to Mars and begin its exploration?
1. A rocket of unprecedented payload
The mission to the Red Planet will take years - only the flight to Mars will take at least 200 days. People will need to take with them a huge amount of equipment and resources. On board it will be necessary to transport a life support system to support the crew, infrastructure for life on the planet, descent and recovery platforms, and much more. This will add up to the need to move much more mass than any previous human mission into space. According to NASA estimates, the minimum requirement may be several payloads of 20–30 tons. On Earth, such cargo is not scary, but launching it into space and delivering it to Martian orbit is a real technological challenge. Moreover, in the case of a payload, the principle “the more, the better” is especially relevant.
What already exists
Super-heavy launch vehicles were developed already in the last century. For example, to launch manned Apollo spacecraft to the Moon, the Americans built the Saturn V with a carrying capacity of up to 140 tons, and the USSR, to launch the Buran reusable orbital spacecraft, created the Energia with a carrying capacity of up to 105 tons. But these rockets were focused on near-Earth space, and their development did not take into account the features of Martian flight.
The carrying capacity of a rocket depends on its target - it decreases as it moves away from the Earth. Even if the design payload to low Earth orbit reaches 100 tons, rockets on Mars will be able to deliver several times less cargo. That is why it is important that the rockets can return for our “baggage” several times. Here, Elon Musk is at the forefront with his developments: in his arsenal is the Falcon Heavy with a payload capacity of 63 tons and the possibility of partial reuse. And its sister, the reusable Big Falcon Rocket, which is in development, will be able to launch up to 150 tons of cargo into Earth orbit. NASA is not far behind and plans to launch the reusable Orion spacecraft on a Space Launch System rocket capable of carrying 130 tons of payload into orbit.
In addition to bone loss, muscle atrophy, and weakened vision, a person faces a disruption of the circadian rhythm, because a Martian day is 40 minutes longer than an Earth one. Jet lag will leave astronauts feeling exhausted
2. New energy
The type and volume of fuel have a decisive influence on the duration of the mission and the cargo we can take with us. Since a manned flight to Mars is a priori a long journey, a lot of fuel will be needed and refueling will be difficult. It will be necessary to modernize existing solutions or switch to solar energy, which can be replenished throughout the flight.
What already exists
NASA plans to partially move away from chemical fuels to systems that will convert solar radiation into energy. Solar-powered travel will take longer, but will give engineers flexibility in choosing a flight path. It will be less dependent on the 26-month planetary alignment of Mars with Earth, which all traditional chemical-fueled spacecraft rely on.
There are also more exotic ideas: for example, a group from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that a “hook” through the Moon for refueling could reduce launch mass by 68%. Taking this into account, as an alternative option, scientists propose to build a fuel creation plant on the Moon and, even before the launch of the main expedition, send tankers towards Mars - to be proactive.
3. “Parachute” for landing on the planet
Entry into the atmosphere, descent and landing of the ship occupy one of the first positions in the ranking of technological challenges: the atmosphere of Mars is so rarefied that its density is not enough for a soft landing; parachutes and wings cannot “catch” to it. Many Mars missions have failed at this stage; in particular, in October 2016, the Schiaparelli probe, which was practicing landing on the planet’s surface as part of the ExoMars space program, crashed. How to land an order of magnitude heavier ship with colonists and equipment for the base? Experts have yet to develop new approach for missions of this scale.
What already exists
So far, the most successful landing system is SkyCrane, which was used to launch the Curiosity rover. She left rocket engines high above, due to which she was able to deliver just under one ton of payload to the surface of Mars. But NASA is already working on a supersonic braking propulsion system that should provide a safe and, just as important, precise landing for a ship weighing 20-30 times more.
4. New generation space communications
The crews of the first Mars missions will need constant communication with the ground crew. Since the journey to Mars and back will take many months, communication systems must take a big leap in development. Comfortable travel to the planet may require up to a billion bits per second over a thousand times the frequency range of the ISS. In addition, in order for the ship to accurately follow its trajectory, the connection must be stable.
What already exists
The small, lonely rover Curiosity is transmitting scientific data and full-fledged images from Mars right now. This process is enabled by three key elements: the rover itself, artificial satellite Mars and one of the centers of space communications on Earth. Signal continuity is ensured by several data reception and transmission points that are available 24 hours a day. Communications of a manned mission will most likely be provided according to a similar scheme, but the volume of data will increase by an order of magnitude.
5. Smart spacesuits
Before traveling to Mars, you must put “walking clothes” in your “suitcase” - spacesuits for going into outer space and moving around the planet. Their task is not only to satisfy basic human biological needs, but also to provide comfort, dexterity and protection from aggressive conditions. For example, the design of a spacesuit must take into account that Mars has a very rarefied atmosphere, the pressure on the surface of the planet is less than 1% of that on Earth, and the weak magnetic field practically does not protect against solar wind particles and radiation.
What already exists
The spacesuits used for spacewalks on the ISS provide high mobility only the upper body. At the same time, they are sensitive to dirt and consumables and require frequent maintenance. This greatly limits the operating time open space- Today the record is 8 hours 13 minutes. For deep space exploration, scientists plan to modernize existing developments and increase the possible operating time of the spacesuit by at least a quarter. The Asteroid Redirect Crew mission, whose crew will have to collect samples from an asteroid boulder, could become a testing ground for new suits.
And, for example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory has prototypes of spacesuits for working on the surface of Mars. BioSuit is based on the concept of a “second skin”, when the suit fabric hugs the astronaut’s body directly. This ensures a smaller volume of the suit, better mobility and the absence of a separate ventilation system, since the fumes go directly through the fabric.
6. Servants and carriages
Man loves comfort. However, this is not the only problem - without the help of robots it is impossible to create a large settlement in an airless desert: people will not be able to independently develop the infrastructure of the colony. Therefore, engineers will have to develop devices that will perform the preliminary routine work, assemble the systems, and also provide their maintenance. They must be independent enough to do all this even in the absence of a person.
What already exists
Mars rovers have been developed by the USSR and the USA since the 70s. Throughout history, four rovers have operated on Mars, and two of them remain active to this day - Curiosity and Opportunity. The launch of two more is planned for 2020. Of course, their goal remains the exploration of the planet, and not the attempt to build structures. But their “descendants” will be able to become builders who will take on part of the tasks of creating infrastructure and serving people. To do this, of course, it will be necessary to “cross” rovers with terrestrial service and industrial robots, which in the meantime are also rapidly evolving.
7. Alien industry
Since each supply of additional resources will cost exorbitant amounts of money, people must strive to break their dependence on supplies from Earth. To do this, you need to learn how to use the resources encountered during space travel, be it solar energy or water in the form of ice crystals on the planet. According to NASA experts, it will take decades for the colony to begin to provide itself with the necessary resources. The main thing that needs to be done for this is to build a multifunctional robotic plant for processing Martian resources into useful things.
What already exists
NASA is developing In-Situ Resource Utilization and Surface Power technology, which will allow the use of local resources and obtain from them fuel for flight, water, materials for radiation protection and consumables for life support systems. And in the terrestrial industry, a “robot revolution” is just taking place, the first fully robotic factories are appearing - perhaps when it comes to a Martian colony, such a factory will not be a big problem for it.
8. Life support system
Life support systems available today rely heavily on consumables. They greatly limit the time a crew can remain in space and require constant, expensive supplies of new supplies of water, oxygen and equipment. A flight to Mars requires a system that can operate for years with minimal spare parts and consumables.
What already exists
The life support system on the ISS can now operate without replacing components for less than six months, and the level of oxygen extraction and water renewal is 42% and 90%. NASA plans to combine the systems of the ISS and the reusable Orion spacecraft to obtain a reliable long-term life support system. As a result, engineers plan to achieve up to 75% oxygen recovery from carbon dioxide, 98% water renewal rates and more than 30 months of battery life without spare parts.
In Russia they are also working on this task. Back in the 1980s, the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences was one of the first in the world to create a biological life support system using photobioreactors that made it possible to produce oxygen using unicellular algae. Today this idea is being improved: in early March, the civil cosmonautics community “Your Space Sector” presented a prototype of a 435nm photobioreactor that uses highly efficient light sources and modern means automation. In the near future, researchers plan to test the photobioreactor on humans, and then launch it into space on a microsatellite, where instead of passengers, other microorganisms will feed on the produced oxygen.
9. Space medicine
Long flights in zero gravity are fraught for astronauts with bone loss, muscle atrophy, weakened vision and other problems. In addition, a person faces a disruption of the circadian rhythm, because a Martian day is 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Because of this jet lag, astronauts will constantly feel exhausted, and the mission may be in jeopardy. To overcome these risks, the development of new diagnostic and treatment tools is required.
What already exists
The ISS is an ideal test bed for simulating many aspects of interplanetary travel, and science teams around the world are taking advantage of it. In a recent study, scientists from Russia and Canada analyzed the effects of space flight conditions on the protein composition of the blood of 18 Russian cosmonauts. It turned out that during space flights, multiple changes occur in the human body at the level of cells, tissues and organs, helping to adapt to new conditions. The body seems to be “at a loss” and tries to change everything at once.
NASA conducted a similar experiment called Twin Study. Scott Kelly stayed in Earth orbit for almost a year while his twin brother Mark Kelly was on Earth. After Scott returned, scientists compared the physical condition of the brothers. The first results show that Scott's DNA has indeed undergone partial changes. There is no rush to come to big conclusions yet, but, according to preliminary data, being in space was rather beneficial for DNA - telomeres, sections at the ends of chromosomes that are destroyed as we age, were in better condition in Scott than in his brother. Who knows, maybe in the future “space medicine” will be understood primarily as sending people into orbit for the purpose of rejuvenation?
10. Radiation umbrella
At the current level of technology development, participants in a mission to Mars in best case scenario They will remain severely disabled, and in the worst case, they will die due to strong radiation. The impact of streams of charged particles of enormous energy penetrating space damages biological molecules, therefore technologies must be created to increase human radioresistance.
What already exists
In early February, a consortium of researchers from 29 world organizations, including NASA and MIPT, drew up a strategy to increase human radioresistance. It examines several areas of future research to protect astronauts from radiation: the development of radioprotective drugs, targeted changes in the human genome, medical selection of radioresistant astronauts. There are also methods that are completely unusual for us - for example, hibernation technology, which can slow down all processes in the body, or regenerative technologies, which will completely replace damaged organs with new ones.
Mars has been attracting people for a long time. The Red Planet has given rise to a lot of speculation, especially about the presence of life on it. And now, finally, the moment of truth has come. The first manned expedition to Mars should take place in 2023. Its preparations began in the Netherlands.
The project called Mars One invites everyone to take part in it. True, as the project administration warns, there will be no return to Earth.
As the founders of the project explain, today there is no technology on Earth to ensure the return of astronauts.
As one of the leaders of Mars One, Bas Lansdorp, said, in 2023 a rocket with four people on board will go from Earth to Mars.
The day before, in 2016 and 2022, the planetary base and supplies of food, water and air will fly there.
Upon arrival on Mars, people will engage in scientific experiments, as well as search for traces of the presence of extraterrestrial life.
The future mission is not expected to be easy. There will be many problems to solve. For example, it is planned to extract oxygen from the water that is located under the surface of Mars, but so far no reliable water deposits have been discovered on the planet.
Moreover, due to strong winds on Mars, the landers may be at a considerable distance from each other. Whether the astronauts will be able to reach them on foot is still unknown.
The organizers of the flight plan to finance it through a reality show that will be broadcast on television.
It is expected that the public will be interested in watching the journey and life of the first “Marsonauts”. However, broadcasting the end of a crew's life in space may be illegal in many countries.
There is another direction of flight. Astronauts going to Mars will have to have some organs removed or replaced with artificial ones to protect them from negative influence radiation and heavy charged particles.
“Man, as a species, was formed on Earth, so he is not prepared for long-distance space flights by the entire course of his evolution. To fly to other planets, no matter how sinful it may seem, the human body needs to be slightly modified and improved. “A person has critical organs that are most susceptible to the effects of radiation, which should be removed and replaced with artificial ones before a flight to Mars,” said Vyacheslav Shurshakov, head of the laboratory at the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to him, the installation of implants in place of pulled out teeth has become commonplace in the modern world. For participants in long-term interplanetary flights in the future, surgery, for example, on the eyes and brain will become just as natural.
Landing a man on Mars today has ceased to be science fiction. The guys from the American space agency NASA say with confidence that the colonization of the Red Planet will definitely begin in the middle of the 21st century. But as for who will be the first to send a man to Mars, they are not so sure. NASA is going to do this approximately in the 2030s, but some private companies promise to surpass them and arrange a manned flight to Mars much earlier, and most importantly, for astronauts this will not necessarily be a one-way trip. In this article we will look at the most likely candidates for the first colonizers of Mars.
Why do we even need to go to Mars?
Current exploration of the Red Planet is carried out through orbiting telescopes, interplanetary stations, spacecraft and rovers. All this allowed us to do a lot interesting discoveries, such as Martian canals and the presence of water on the Red Planet, but many theories have also appeared, to confirm which it is advisable to send a person there.
Earth researchers will have to find on Mars signs of germs in the past, and perhaps even their present day. And this will confirm the presence of life on another planet in the solar system.
Space exploration is inevitable, so why not start now? One of the priority tasks for studying Mars is checking it for suitability for future resettlement person there. After all, even Stephen Hawking was sure that sooner or later we would not be able to live on our Earth due to a world war or a global cataclysm.
Paradoxically, on Mars we will be able to learn a lot of new things not only about the Earth, but also about the distant corners of space.
USSR and Mars
For all known reasons, the USSR will no longer be able to send anything to Mars, but Soviet plans for this planet deserve attention.
In those days, only science fiction writers talked about landing a man on Mars, but scientists seriously considered the possibility of creating a spacecraft for a manned flight.
One of the first serious projects was Martian manned complex(IPC). It was supposed to be assembled in low-Earth orbit from different blocks. The original weight of the ship would have been 1650 tons (!). Upon return to Earth, only part of the ship weighing 15 tons would remain. The total flight time was supposed to be 2.5 years.
But soon Soviet engineers presented more progressive projects heavy interplanetary spacecraft. There were several options for such ships that could accommodate up to 4 crew members.
It got to the point that the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1960 even scheduled the launch of the flight of the not yet built ship for June 8, 1971. But the project had to be shut down, because the so-called “moon race” began.
Who knows, if the collapse of the USSR had not happened, it is possible that the first colonists would have raised a red flag on the Red Planet...
Inspiration Mars Foundation
For a change, let's look at candidates for a regular flight to Mars without landing. After all, seeing this planet for the first time with your own eyes, and not on a screen or through a telescope lens, is also worth a lot.
The non-profit organization Inspiration Mars Foundation has in its plans already in 2018 make the first manned flyby of Mars.
The entire journey will take 501 days. The flight path is designed in such a way as to consume the least amount of fuel. The crew will consist of a man and a woman. This couple must fly safely to the Red Planet, fly around it and return to Earth.
Such a flight is of considerable importance in terms of studying the physiological and psychological state of a person in interplanetary space. The data obtained will be very useful when we go to Mars for the purpose of landing.
Aurora Program
The European Space Agency also has its own plan for a Mars mission. These comrades want to land a man on Mars closer to 2033.
The agency's management says that due to low funding, they will be forced to resort to international cooperation. For example, Russia is involved in one of the stages of the program called ExoMars.
While Aurora is launching vehicles to explore the Red Planet, a manned flight to the Moon (2024) and an unmanned flight to Mars (2026) are planned. And if everything is in order with funding, a manned flight to Mars is quite possible. There is a possibility that Russia will be involved in this.
NASA
The guys from NASA constantly complain about the lack of funding. If you think about it, every organization in the world that lives at the expense of its state has such problems. But NASA is an American agency! This country has no qualms about declaring that it rules the world. So why can't you guys support something as important as conquering other planets by leaving it to private companies? Oh, yes, you need to organize economic wars with the Bear... The US government has already ruined its space agency's plans for Mars several times.
Be that as it may, NASA is determined to quickly land a man on Mars, which should happen within the next 20 years. The exact dates have not yet been announced. The flight will take place when all the devices are ready, and provisions with water and oxygen reserves have been previously delivered to the Red Planet.
Today's NASA plan is well detailed and consists of three stages:
- "Earth Support". At this stage, it is planned to study living conditions on other planets. This is necessary to create life support systems for people on Mars. In addition, it is necessary to develop technologies that can protect astronauts in interplanetary space.
- "Test Site". The test site will have to be the Moon. So far, NASA is not sure that they will necessarily land on the Earth’s satellite and equip a base there in order to “practice” before Mars. Perhaps staying in lunar orbit will be quite enough. In any case, these events are planned to be held before 2020.
- "Complete independence from Earth". After careful preparation, people will have to go into Martian orbit. The following options are considered below:
- A temporary base is being installed on one of the satellites of Mars. And from there people, along with equipment, will be sent to the planet;
- Astronauts will immediately land on Mars and organize a permanent colony.
NASA experts have high hopes for 3D printing technology in terms of creating a sustainable and autonomous living environment.
Another interesting fact is that at one of the press conferences, agency representatives noted that the flight to Mars should be international. No discord between Russia and the United States should be reflected in scientific research, and especially in the study of other planets.
In a word, the guys from NASA are confident that if everything goes according to plan, then by the end of this century all problems regarding the possibility of living on Mars will be solved.
Centennial spaceship
A project with this name was developed by one of NASA's research centers. It is much cheaper than the space agency's main plan, since the colonists will be sent to Mars permanently.
If the project comes true, selected volunteers will fly to the Red Planet as early as 2030. They will have with them a small nuclear reactor, the necessary equipment and means to produce food, water and oxygen.
Roscosmos
Russia, as mentioned earlier, is taking part in a joint project with the European Space Agency. This project is called ExoMars. But its task is only to deliver research modules to the orbit and surface of the Red Planet. Of course, Rocosmos has plans to send a man to Mars by the middle of the century, but he obviously won’t be the first there...
The Proton-M rocket was used for the ExoMars mission. By the way, in Russia in 2015 the Mars-500 program, within which a simulation of a manned flight to Mars was carried out. The results of the experiment contribute to the further preparation of participants in the expedition to Mars.
Russia can also make its contribution to reducing the flight time to the Red Planet. Now Roscosmos together with Rosatom is working on a fundamentally new nuclear power engine and a transport module that will be compatible with it. With such an engine, it will be possible to get from earth to Mars in just a few months.
Mars One
Targeted by 2026, the Dutch company Mars One plans to send 4 colonists to the Red Planet without the possibility of their returning back to Earth, as is the case with the Centennial Spaceship project. It is noteworthy that the number of colonists should include volunteers from different countries.
This is what a Mars One colony should look like If the idea comes true, then in 2027 the colonists will land. However, first it is necessary to have time to send residential blocks, life support systems and cargo containers to Mars. All this stuff should be waiting there for the rover, which will do the preliminary unloading.
This project is periodically compromised by the fact that it is simply untenable. Even some candidates for the flight say that the organizers of this movement have not raised the necessary money, but continue to hope for sponsorship.
As of February 2019 It became known that the Mars One project went bankrupt, so we give all the laurels to our winner.
SpaceX
In September 2016, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whom many identify with Tony Stark himself, presented a program for the accelerated exploration of Mars. The first human landing will be possible in 2024, and over the next 30 years the Mars colony should grow to 1 million people. Elon emphasizes that it is time for earthlings to take off and become an interplanetary civilization.
More information about the spacecraft that will take people to Mars can be found in the video presented by SpaceX:
The implementation of the Interplanetary Transport System spacecraft project will reduce the cost of one person's flight to 200 thousand dollars. With current technology, this figure is $10 billion. Significant savings will be possible both on the possibility of reusable use of system components and on specially selected fuel, the production of which is planned to be carried out directly in Mars orbit.
Today's leading space agencies recognize the SpaceX program as the most promising in terms of Mars exploration. This is largely thanks to their Falcon 9 shuttle rocket, which today delivers cargo to the ISS. Its feature is the ability to land the first stage for reuse. This technology is perfect for Mars missions.
Many call Elon Musk a dreamer, because the end result of his idea is the relocation (or even evacuation) of earthlings to Mars, when others see this planet or as an object scientific research, or as an opportunity to make money on space tourism.
However, Musk's project has great public support and famous people. So recently Leonardo DiCaprio mentioned that he signed up as a candidate for a flight to Mars. This was after SpaceX published its colonization plan.
Boeing
In early October 2016, Boeing made a loud announcement that it would compete with SpaceX in landing humans on Mars.
Boeing management assured the public that they have everything for these purposes. They are absolutely sure that it is their rocket that will deliver the first person to the Red Planet, although detailed arguments have not yet been provided. Except that new hypersonic engines are mentioned, which will exceed the speed of sound three times.
By the way, Boeing rockets have delivered people to the Moon many times.
Apparently, today these guys are primarily focusing on space tourism, and not on scientific exploration of Mars.
Conclusion
Private companies currently hold a clear lead in the Mars race. The greatest hopes are shown by SpaceX with their rather ambitious plans. This company has advanced technologies in terms of space travel and is not as limited in funds as NASA, Roscosmos or the European Space Agency. Of course, if all departments had joined forces, earthlings would probably have begun to conquer Mars much earlier, but the situation in the world was such that political strife was more important than progress.
