2007-12-29 06:25:43 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
yes. the technology we have would allow a human (or a group) to live in a space ship for a year at a time (as they did in MIR space station) and land on another planet as we have many times with probes on titan, the moon, mars, and venus
and I don't think the suits need a huge overhaul to handle the atmosphere on mars.
they question today is really... do we want to spend the money, (about 30 billion) do we want to take 2 - 3 years out of someones life, do we want to risk a group of people dying, and why. we can't live there and its a big risk just to put a human foot print on mars. even bring back material from mining is not worth the expense of bringing it back.
did your know it costs up to $75,700 to send up just ONE gallon of water up to the moon? mars would set that price about 8 times more.
SIX HUNDRED thousand $$$$ just to get 1, thats ONE!! gallon of water to mars........
I don't think its going to happen anytime soon....
we'll focus on a moon base and that might let us have cheaper launches over time, but its going to be a long time!!!
2007-12-29 06:44:01 · answer #1 · answered by Mercury 2010 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not using current hardware. NASA is developing a new launch system to take over when the shuttle is decommissioned. The heaviest launcher is called the Ares V. Several launches would be required to place sufficient payload into a Mars trajectory to allow any kind of realistic Mars exploration. The expense would be huge, and the politics behind it would have to be equally huge for it to even get off the ground.
Notwithstanding the above, it is technically possible to go to Mars and set up a colony there. The problem is more social, political and economic than technological.
2007-12-29 13:00:16 · answer #2 · answered by Quadrillian 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The technology is there but it will take several years to get it made. First of all the space ship going there will be huge, launched in in three parts and assembled in space. The astronauts equipment would be sent to mars ahead of time in a separate capsule so that there is less weight on board the space ship. There are still several problems though. First of all they need to figure out a way to solve the problem of lack of gravity. The round trip will take 2 to 3 years and most of that time they will be in zero gravity. This takes a toll on the human body and reduces the bone density to almost 50 percent of what it was. A ship that rotates as it travels is one of the leading ideas to create artificial gravity. Another problems is all the solar particles coming from space. On Earth, these are blocked by the atmoshphere, but while in space these tiny particles penetrate the ship like paper. Enough of these particles can cause damage to the people on board. There are also only certain times you can land on mars due to its location in the solar system. It is best to land on it when it swings nearest to the Earth. Landing on mars is most likely possible and I would'nt be too surprised to see it happen within one or two decades.
2007-12-29 06:40:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
People could land on Mars in the next 20 to 30 years provided scientists can find water on the red planet, the head of NASA's surface exploration mission. Two partially solar-powered "robot geologists" -- Mars Exploration Rovers, or MERs -- have been trundling across 3 miles of the planet and into craters since January 2004, beaming back data about the makeup of what scientists believe is Earth's sister planet. Asked how long it could be before astronauts land on Mars, Arthur Thompson, mission manager for MER surface operations, told Reuters in an interview in Lima, "My best guess is 20 to 30 years, if that becomes our primary priority."
2016-05-27 18:55:04 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure, we have the basic technology, what we lack is a vehicle with sufficient space to hold people and supplies.
It's a 100 day MINIMUM trip to Mars and that only allows for 1 or 2 weeks on the planet.
It takes 10 pounds of water, air and food per day for each person so that is 1/2 ton of supplies for ONE person.
A four man crew requires 2 tons of supplies.
AND they have to live in something the size of a MTA bus for 100 days.
And half that bus would be stocked with food and water.
Does that sound delightful. Ready to be locked in there for 100 days with three other people!
The Shuttle would do the trip, but the cockpit is the size of a 7 seat mini van!
100 days in a MINI van!
2007-12-29 07:14:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look on the NASA website, I'm sure there's a lot of specific things but I'm not going to do your research for you.
My understanding is that it's possible to land humans on Mars, right now. Unfortunately, that doesn't take into account them being alive and in good condition. Radiation from the sun would tear apart their DNA if they are exposed too long (and it would take a long time to get to Mars), and they would probably go crazy being cooped up for a year or so, in a spaceship...
2007-12-29 06:39:06 · answer #6 · answered by little_elven 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No doubt we will get there, it is not an especially inhospitable planet, or an unrealistic distance. Right now, it looks like the first mission sending humans beings to Mars will happen within most of our lifetimes, and is scheduled to occur by the year 2030.
2007-12-29 06:30:27 · answer #7 · answered by ScSpec 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In about 100-500 years
2007-12-29 07:10:56 · answer #8 · answered by tian 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If we can land robots why not humans but the problem would be bringing them back.
2007-12-30 00:10:10 · answer #9 · answered by E=MCPUNK 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Possible, Yes,
Practical, No.
2007-12-29 08:27:00 · answer #10 · answered by Irv S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋