Putting a Man on Mars
Astronomy 305
Term Paper
Insight and Speculation on Getting a Man to Mars
Mars has been a fascinating topic of discussion for a long time now. Every aspect of the Red Planet is mysterious when you think about the history of it. It is extremely similar to the Earth in a lot of ways. It experiences seasons just like the Earth due to its tilt. It also has many mountain ranges, giving evidence for some plate tectonics, but not a lot of evidence. Due to Mars’ very thin atmosphere there is very little air pressure on its surface, making it impossible for anything to exist in liquid form, only solids, vapors, and gases. But the question is, was it always like this? Recent missions have sent back pictures of rocks deposited in an area that looks as if it once carried flowing water. Sending an actual astronaut to Mars would help scientists answer some questions about its ancient history. Ever since we put a man on the moon back in the 1960s, the possibilities of Mars have been prevalent in modern day culture. Technology has been improving at such a fast paced rate that the question is not would we be able to do it, but when could we do it, and could we do it safely? When thinking about a possible mission to Mars with a human passenger, one must conclude that there are a number of factors and obstacles that must be answered and overcome. The first topic of discussion would have to be to figure out if we had the resources and enough qualified personnel to do the job. A recent look in the news lately shows that if we can get the right heads together, than we can put a man on Mars in a relatively short period of time, like 10-15 years. A recent article on Business Insider said that NASA could do it if they really wanted too. One of the lead mechanical engineers is quoted as saying, “Putting men on Mars is not unachievable. It is just really hard and expensive. So if the world were to find itself with enough resources and the motivation, we could do it. Although it might
Term Paper
Insight and Speculation on Getting a Man to Mars
Mars has been a fascinating topic of discussion for a long time now. Every aspect of the Red Planet is mysterious when you think about the history of it. It is extremely similar to the Earth in a lot of ways. It experiences seasons just like the Earth due to its tilt. It also has many mountain ranges, giving evidence for some plate tectonics, but not a lot of evidence. Due to Mars’ very thin atmosphere there is very little air pressure on its surface, making it impossible for anything to exist in liquid form, only solids, vapors, and gases. But the question is, was it always like this? Recent missions have sent back pictures of rocks deposited in an area that looks as if it once carried flowing water. Sending an actual astronaut to Mars would help scientists answer some questions about its ancient history. Ever since we put a man on the moon back in the 1960s, the possibilities of Mars have been prevalent in modern day culture. Technology has been improving at such a fast paced rate that the question is not would we be able to do it, but when could we do it, and could we do it safely? When thinking about a possible mission to Mars with a human passenger, one must conclude that there are a number of factors and obstacles that must be answered and overcome. The first topic of discussion would have to be to figure out if we had the resources and enough qualified personnel to do the job. A recent look in the news lately shows that if we can get the right heads together, than we can put a man on Mars in a relatively short period of time, like 10-15 years. A recent article on Business Insider said that NASA could do it if they really wanted too. One of the lead mechanical engineers is quoted as saying, “Putting men on Mars is not unachievable. It is just really hard and expensive. So if the world were to find itself with enough resources and the motivation, we could do it. Although it might
Bibliography: "Man on Mars." Universe Today RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.universetoday.com/46816/man-on-mars/>. "NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration." NASA. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012 "Private Manned Mars Mission Gets First Sponsors." Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.space.com/17360-private-mars-one-mission-sponsors.html>. Tyson, Peter. "A One-Way Trip to Mars?" PBS. PBS, 02 Nov. 0010. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/human-mars-mission.html>.