Launch Manifest For NASA's "Road To Mars" Takes Shape But Questions Remain

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday September 23, 2015 @05:47AM from the this-is-how-we'll-do-it dept.

MarkWhittington writes: NASASpaceFlight.com reported that NASA's so-called "Road to Mars" is starting to take shape. The deep space program that would conclude with human astronauts departing for the Red Planet in 2039 would require just over 40 launches of the heavy-lift Space Launch System, including an uncrewed flight in 2018 and one flight a year to cis-lunar space starting in 2021 lasting until 2027. A flight in 2028 would launch something called the Pathfinder Entry Descent Landing Craft to Mars as a precursor for a human landing. Then the Mars program begins in earnest with a mission to Phobos in 2033 and missions to the Martian surface in 2039 and 2043.

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Re:Serious challenges remain by Anonymous Coward · 2015-09-23 06:57 · Score: 4, Informative

you forgot the most serious challenge. 2015 - 2039 is 24 years. That is 6 Administrations, 4 Congressional Terms and 12 terms for the House of representatives.
I do not see any NASA Program survive 24 years of dividing up the Pork. The only way this is going to happen is when it becomes a matter of national security or a new space race takes place. Both of these are external circumstances and fully out of NASA's control.