Obama envisions extended stays on Mars
Schoolchildren are part of the "Mars Generation."
In an editorial for CNN.com, the president outlined his vision for space exploration, writing of the country’s goal to send humans to Mars by the 2030s and return them safely to Earth.
Working alongside commercial partners, the government wishes to build "new habitats that can sustain and transport astronauts on long-duration missions in deep space. These missions will teach us how humans can live far from Earth -- something we'll need for the long journey to Mars," Obama wrote.
Already, astronauts at the International Space Station are testing an inflatable module designed to provide additional room during a lengthy voyage.
In a separate article posted on websites for the White House and NASA, John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Charles Bolden, administrator of NASA, wrote that soon NASA would enter a “proving ground” preparation stage for deep space travel.
NASA will “demonstrate and test technologies for the first time in cis-lunar space, the area around the moon, where our astronauts are days or weeks away from Earth, rather than hours.” Bolden and Holdren also announced that NASA will "start the process of providing companies with a potential opportunity to add their own modules and other capabilities to the International Space Station."
This week, innovators will meet in Pittsburgh at the White House Frontiers Conference to explore how American investments in science and technology will help the country’s space program prepare for Mars.
The prospect of a settlement on the red planet excites space enthusiasts. And in his editorial, Obama referred to today's schoolchildren as the "Mars generation." But NASA's deep space travel plans have received little-to-no mention during this year’s presidential race.
And a year ago, Bolden penned a letter to Congress complaining about cuts to Obama’s funding requests for the commercial crew program -- the agency’s effort to have private companies build rockets that will take astronauts to the space station. Currently, U.S. astronauts travel to the station with the Russians.
Related:
NASA asks: What would you take to Mars?
NASA plots course for Mars journey
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