NASA's Journey to Mars

By 2030, NASA has declared that they will have humans in low-orbit around Mars. This is quite an extraordinary feat and will take resources and valuable time out of the lives of project members. However, NASA states it can be done and have detailed their 3 phase plan below.

A Mars rover scopes out the red planet.

The first phase is Earth Reliant exploration and it is already underway. This phase consists of research done aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The facilities of the ISS allows microbial testing to be done in low gravity situations. Additionally, astronauts train here, letting them begin to process of adjusting to long-term deep space residence. In the next couple years, NASA will be ready to move to the next phase of the plan.

An diagram of the Earth Reliant phase.

The next threshold to reach is the Proving Ground phase. This will include missions done in cislunar orbit around the moon. After completing an unmanned mission with the Orion spacecraft, NASA will complete the same mission with astronauts. This mission could take upwards of a year. One of the more exciting missions to be completed during this phase is the Asteroid Redirect Mission. This task, undertook by a robotic spacecraft, includes capturing an asteroid and then placing it in the moon’s orbit. Astronauts will then perform spacewalks and sampling tests on the rock. During this time, NASA will also finish production on their Solar Electric Propulsion system, a device using sunlight that will help transport cargo to Mars.

A diagram of the Proving Ground phase.

The final part of NASA’s plan is titled Earth Independent. This will take everything that NASA has learned from their previous two phases. It will then apply this to actually beginning the journey of sending humans to Mars. During the mid-2020’s, NASA will send a specialized rover to Mars to gather samples and scout out potential exploration zones on the Martian surface. Once, the 2030’s arrive, astronauts should be on their journey to Mars. Once they arrive, they will spend time in low orbit, studying landing and thruster techniques to help navigate them to the surface.

A diagram of the Earth Independent phase.

Both the public and NASA are excited about what this journey could mean for humanity. If it succeeds, it will be a major milestone in history and the advancement of technology. The best-case scenario is that once humans are in orbit around Mars in 2030, they will be able to begin the process of pioneering the planet and eventually paving the way for human settlement.

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