ID :
172100
Thu, 03/31/2011 - 07:47
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/172100
The shortlink copeid
ISS is prototype of future manned flight to Mars - view
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Itar-Tass) - The project of the International Space Station (ISS) is the "prototype of a future manned mission to Mars," USSR cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Savinykh said in an interview with Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
"I think that the current ISS project - is a prototype of a future
flight to Mars, if humanity is ever going to fly to this planet," he said. According to Savinykh, the basis for such a project is "the current close cooperation between different countries, because the preparation of such a flight is simply beyond the powers of one state." Therefore, he said, "it is necessary to prepared on the ISS basis."
In this regard Savinykh noted the importance of cooperation between Russia and the United States. According to him, "These are the two leading powers that build spaceships and launch them into outer space."
The cosmonaut, who currently heads the International Association of Space Flight Participants, refrained from forecasting in how many years this project can become a reality. However, he believes that "there are prospects for performing a flight to Mars." "It only remains to solve one problem - how to overcome gravity belts, and the related efforts are currently underway," he concluded.
The European Space Agency has the long-term vision of sending a human mission to Mars by 2030. Laid out in 2001, the project's proposed timeline would begin with robotic exploration, a proof of concept simulation of sustaining humans on Mars, and eventually a manned mission; however, objections from the participating nations of ESA and other delays have put the timeline into question.
A number of Mars mission concepts and proposals have been put forth by Russian scientists. Stated dates were for a launch sometime between 2016 and 2020. The Mars probe would carry a crew of four to five cosmonauts, who would spend close to two years in space. In 2011, Russian and European space agencies will have successfully completed the ground-based MARS-500. The biomedical experiment simulating manned flight to Mars was completed in Russia in July 2009. The Mars Piloted Orbital Station (or MARPOST) is a Russian proposed manned orbital mission to Mars, using a nuclear reactor
to run an electric rocket engine. Proposed in October 2000 by Yuri Karash from the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics as the next step for Russia in space along with the Russian participation in the International Space Station, a 30-volume draft project for MARPOST has been confirmed as of 2005. Design for the ship proposed to be ready in 2012, and the shipitself in 2021.
The United States has a number of missions currently exploring Mars, with a sample-return planned in the near future. The US does not have a launcher capable of sending humans to Mars, although the Orion spacecraft, currently under development by NASA, could ferry astronauts from the surface of Earth to join a Mars-bound expedition in Earth orbit and then back to Earth's surface once the expedition has returned from Mars. NASA has used the Haughton impact crater on Devon Island as a proving ground due to the crater's similarity with Martian geology. According to New Scientist, an argon plasma-based VASIMR rocket could reduce the transit time to less than 40 days.
The European Space Agency has sent robotic probes, and has long-term plans to send humans but has not yet built a human-capable launcher. There is a proposal to convert ESA's existing Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for crewed launches.
Russia (and previously the Soviet Union) has sent a large number of probes. It can send humans into Earth-Orbit and has extensive experience with long-term manned orbital space flight due to its space station programs. Russia does not have a launcher capable of sending humans to Mars, although the Kliper program was proposed as the Russian-European counterpart to the United States' Orion Spacecraft. A simulation of a manned Mars mission, called Mars-500, was completed in Russia in July 2009.
Japan's robotic missions to Mars have so far failed. China plans to cooperate with Russia in sending robotic sample return mission to Phobos. China was the third country after Russia and the USA to launch humans into Earth orbit.
Some scientists have argued that attempting manned flight to Mars
would actually be counterproductive for science. In 2004, the Special
committee on the funding of Astrophysics, a committee of the American
Physical Society, stated that "shifting NASA priorities toward risky,
expensive missions to the Moon and Mars will mean neglecting the most
promising space science efforts."
-0-ezh
"I think that the current ISS project - is a prototype of a future
flight to Mars, if humanity is ever going to fly to this planet," he said. According to Savinykh, the basis for such a project is "the current close cooperation between different countries, because the preparation of such a flight is simply beyond the powers of one state." Therefore, he said, "it is necessary to prepared on the ISS basis."
In this regard Savinykh noted the importance of cooperation between Russia and the United States. According to him, "These are the two leading powers that build spaceships and launch them into outer space."
The cosmonaut, who currently heads the International Association of Space Flight Participants, refrained from forecasting in how many years this project can become a reality. However, he believes that "there are prospects for performing a flight to Mars." "It only remains to solve one problem - how to overcome gravity belts, and the related efforts are currently underway," he concluded.
The European Space Agency has the long-term vision of sending a human mission to Mars by 2030. Laid out in 2001, the project's proposed timeline would begin with robotic exploration, a proof of concept simulation of sustaining humans on Mars, and eventually a manned mission; however, objections from the participating nations of ESA and other delays have put the timeline into question.
A number of Mars mission concepts and proposals have been put forth by Russian scientists. Stated dates were for a launch sometime between 2016 and 2020. The Mars probe would carry a crew of four to five cosmonauts, who would spend close to two years in space. In 2011, Russian and European space agencies will have successfully completed the ground-based MARS-500. The biomedical experiment simulating manned flight to Mars was completed in Russia in July 2009. The Mars Piloted Orbital Station (or MARPOST) is a Russian proposed manned orbital mission to Mars, using a nuclear reactor
to run an electric rocket engine. Proposed in October 2000 by Yuri Karash from the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics as the next step for Russia in space along with the Russian participation in the International Space Station, a 30-volume draft project for MARPOST has been confirmed as of 2005. Design for the ship proposed to be ready in 2012, and the shipitself in 2021.
The United States has a number of missions currently exploring Mars, with a sample-return planned in the near future. The US does not have a launcher capable of sending humans to Mars, although the Orion spacecraft, currently under development by NASA, could ferry astronauts from the surface of Earth to join a Mars-bound expedition in Earth orbit and then back to Earth's surface once the expedition has returned from Mars. NASA has used the Haughton impact crater on Devon Island as a proving ground due to the crater's similarity with Martian geology. According to New Scientist, an argon plasma-based VASIMR rocket could reduce the transit time to less than 40 days.
The European Space Agency has sent robotic probes, and has long-term plans to send humans but has not yet built a human-capable launcher. There is a proposal to convert ESA's existing Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for crewed launches.
Russia (and previously the Soviet Union) has sent a large number of probes. It can send humans into Earth-Orbit and has extensive experience with long-term manned orbital space flight due to its space station programs. Russia does not have a launcher capable of sending humans to Mars, although the Kliper program was proposed as the Russian-European counterpart to the United States' Orion Spacecraft. A simulation of a manned Mars mission, called Mars-500, was completed in Russia in July 2009.
Japan's robotic missions to Mars have so far failed. China plans to cooperate with Russia in sending robotic sample return mission to Phobos. China was the third country after Russia and the USA to launch humans into Earth orbit.
Some scientists have argued that attempting manned flight to Mars
would actually be counterproductive for science. In 2004, the Special
committee on the funding of Astrophysics, a committee of the American
Physical Society, stated that "shifting NASA priorities toward risky,
expensive missions to the Moon and Mars will mean neglecting the most
promising space science efforts."
-0-ezh
