SpaceX catches giant Starship booster during historic Flight 5 rocket launch and landing

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Just checked...the Artemis program isn't even planning a moon mission that will last more than 30 days. It would be kind of difficult to send an astronaut on a two year space mission to Mars before any human being has even been in space for at least two years! I'm starting to wonder if I will live to see this.

Well...if yer under 30, probably, but not certainly~

 

[toobfreak]

Just checked...the Artemis program isn't even planning a moon mission that will last more than 30 days. It would be kind of difficult to send an astronaut on a two year space mission to Mars before any human being has even been in space for at least two years! I'm starting to wonder if I will live to see this.

The whole Mars mission stuff intrigues me, but believe me, sending a man to Mars is about 1000x harder and more expensive than just going to the Moon. With the Moon, if something goes wrong, there is at least an outside chance of rescuing them. With a Mars mission, not only are the odds of problems and failure 100X greater, but there is no possibility of rescue.

So, while manned martian missions intrigue me, understand that it will happen in this order:

1. Build a long-term permanent lunar base on the Moon mostly underground, where people will live and study for long periods of time to work out the kinks in going to Mars.
2. Design the actual Martian mission.
3. Transport and build everything needed for the martian mission to the Moon, and build, test and ready everything there.
4. Launch the manned Martian mission from the Moon, benefiting from the much lighter gravity, and the 238,000 miles the Moon gets us closer to Mars plus the added push of the Moon's motion in getting us there.
5. Cross our fingers that the people going there can survive the two years in space to get there, arrive safely on Mars, then build a place to live and survive there long term.

Remember Lost In Space in the 1960s? They were supposed to be the first manned mission to send a family to another star system. Well, the difficulty they faced, that is about the difficulty we will face just getting to Mars.

 

[Nate99]

So, while manned martian missions intrigue me, understand that it will happen in this order:

1. Build a long-term permanent lunar base on the Moon mostly underground, where people will live and study for long periods of time to work out the kinks in going to Mars.

The only problem with the whole Moon plan is that the Moon is within the magnetosphere. Sending humans to Mars would involve sending humans outside the magnetosphere...so the whole Moon thing wouldn't be a true test.

 

[Nate99]

The only problem with the whole Moon plan is that the Moon is within the magnetosphere. Sending humans to Mars would involve sending humans outside the magnetosphere...so the whole Moon thing wouldn't be a true test.

Clarification...it is outside of the magnetosphere for the majority of it's orbit.