How long do you think it will be before we put a man on Mars?

Question

Hi elizadushku, you may just be right on that one!

Answer 1

We could probably do it now. The technology required to get there isn't any different than that required for current manned space travel, its just that the cost is astronomical (no pun intended!). It costs approx $10,000 per pound just to launch into space and almost certainly more to get to Mars.
NASA has a limited budget and tries to use this as effectively. A manned trip to Mars would require a massive increase in this.
There is also the political factor. Back in the 60s, the cold war was at its peak. Putting a man on the moon was a way for the US and the soviets to outdo eachother but this sort of motivation doesn't exist anymore.

Answer 2

It may never happen. When you consider the frailties of the human body and the immense additional burden of providing fuel and life support for a round trip combined with the ongoing developments in robotics it seems very possible to me that by the time an inter planetary expedition of this scale becomes politically/financially viable an advanced (perhaps bipedal) robot with artificial intelligence may be perceived as a better potential astronaut than a human. Given the pace of development in robotics and AI I wouldn't be surprised if within 20 years or so we could have autonomous robots that would be able to explore the surface of Mars and perform experiments as effectively as humans, but without the burden of requiring oxygen, food, shelter or a ride home! You never know it could be "that's one small step for a robot, one giant leap for robot-kind!" (and yes I'm aware that simple robots have already been sent to Mars!)

I also am aware that the 'romantic' notion of humans actually setting foot on another world is a major populist inspiration for space exploration, and this may well be enough of a driving factor to ensure that someone does eventually make the trip. With the way the world is going though - culturally and environmentally - the other question is whether space travel has already had it's golden age and will never actually blossom into the type of endevour popularised by science fiction that sees humankind exploring the outer reaches of the solar system and galaxy beyond.

Answer 3

Very good question. As others have alluded to, this is not so much a technological problem as one of motivation and money. Had the Cold War still been fought today, we may already have sent people. Personally I would like to see spacecraft propulsion technology developed so that we can get the trip down to a couple of months each way, rather than a year - otherwise the effects of prolonged weightlessness on astronauts' bodies could have serious consequences.

I reckon we should see someone walk on Mars in the next 20 years. One thing's for sure - all the nutcases out there will say it was a conspiracy and that it was set up in a film studio. More so because there's already been a film about it (Capricorn One).

Answer 4

i'd imagine a minimum of countless years. in spite of infinite funding, it only undeniable takes time to deliver exploratory rovers to Mars and carry at the same time needed archives, and to construct and attempt a suitable spacecraft. Even once all of it is performed, there are in worry-free words short classes (once a 365 days? i'm no longer certain about the frequency) even as Earth is interior the perfect region for a Mars launch. If undesirable climate occurs, launch might want to correctly be behind agenda for yet another 365 days or so.

Answer 5

Not within the next 10 years at least, we are still developing the hardware to go back to the moon, that is the first target (again). As soon as we are back on lunar soil plans will probably get underway for a martian landing, I seriously wouldn't expect it within the next twenty years unless some real radical interest in doing it soonest crops up (and we aren't in the middle east still)
To be honest, there is no race to get there before the Russians, thats what got us to the moon in 8 years from announcement to achievement in the first place.

Answer 6

That depends when the governments actually looked at who we are, namely all the same, humans. Pool our resources and promote a joint unified world effort to travel the stars, instead promoting war and wasting trillions on armaments.

We have the brains to have better transport methods then burning fuel, but as you know economics rule the world, not what is good for it.

If governments decided to outlaw petrol use, you see how quickly another form of energy is invented if it not already there.

So this will happen hopefully soon, but we have to convince our egoistic governments to work together, not against each other, so that this goal is reached.

Answer 7

7 years, 23 days and 22 seconds. A man will step on mars after this amount of time has expired.

Answer 8

Don't know but I hope that the man is Gordon Brown. Or maybe Mars is where he came from, he certainly doesn't seem to live on this planet

Answer 9

50 years.

Answer 10

I'm not sure but maybe you should be put on mars,,,let us no whats going on.