sciencetech-blog

comments

Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin has said Nasa must commit to building a permanent settlement on the surface of Mars and sending astronauts there to colonise it.

The second man to walk on the Moon told a special Senate subcomittee hearing that the United States needed to accept that crews sent to the Martian surface would not be coming back.

Instead he said the US space agency needed to focus on sending people to Mars to stay to avoid the huge cost of bringing crews back home.

Former Nasa astronaut Buzz Aldrin (above) said the US needs to commit to building a permanent Mars base

The made his comments while outlining his vision for how the US should lead the race to the red planet at the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness.

He warned that the US risked being caught up and even beaten by other countries like China who are looking at sending people to Mars.

The Apollo 11 pilot, who is now a campaigner for missions to Mars, said the next US president needed to commit by 2019 to building a permanently manned Martian base.

In his evidence presented to the hearing, Mr Aldrin said: 'If we wish to retain American leadership in space, I believe that early in the next administration, the nation must commit to developing a permanent presence on Mars.'

He added: 'Focus on sending people to Mars to stay. The huge cost driver for Mars missions is the cost of bringing everyone back home after a relatively brief stay.

'I envision a program of settlement that schedules most of the crews who go to Mars will remain and establish a permanent settlement there.'

The former astronaut, who now spends much of his time promoting the US space programme around the world, was giving evidence alongside two other former Nasa astronauts Walt Cunningham, who was the pilot on Apollo 7, and space shuttle mission specialist Michael Massimino.

Mr Aldrin, who along with Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon for the first time on July 20 1969, said that since the Apollo moon landings, the US had failed to demonstrate that it led the world in space exploration.

He said that repeating the 'flags and footprints' approach taken by the Apollo missions to the Moon, would not be enough to keep the US in the lead of the space race. 

Buzz Aldrin said the US space programme needed to go beyond putting 'flags and footprints' on Mars (above)

Mr Aldrin said America had lost its leadership of the space race since the Apollo missions to the Moon

The 85-year-old said: 'Over the next few years we must choose whether we are to go forward as a nation and lead the extension of global civilization to a permanent presence beyond Low Earth Orbit, or to allow American leadership in space to erode over the next decades.

'American leadership is inspiring the world by consistently doing what no other nation is capable of doing. We demonstrated that for a brief time 45 years ago. I do not believe we have done it since.

'Another Apollo like mission to put flags and footprints on Mars does not ensure sustained leadership, and restarting a failed constellation program will only require one small step for China to catch up.'

Mr Aldrin was the second man to walk on the Moon (above) after Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11, but says the US must now focus on putting astronauts on the surface of Mars where they will stay for the rest of their lives

Mr Aldrin has compiled what he describes as his Unified Space Vision, which includes using robots to build habitation structures on the Moon by around 2028 that could support future missions to Mars. 

He said that much of this could be conducted by commercial companies and for scientific activities.

Setting out a timetable for the missions, he suggested deploying a cycling spacecraft that perpetually orbits between the Earth and Mars to reduce the amount of fuel needed to send habitable structures to Mars, which could be sent in advance of any astronauts.

He added that most pioneers to the red planet would not be expected to return.

He said that initially a crew of three could land on the Martian Moon Phobos before later transferring to the red planet itself. He said that this would probably not happen much before 2034.

He said: 'Every four and a half years the population of Mars will continue to grow as recurring outbound cyclers bring additional crews of up to 9 new inhabitants.

'The list of potential tasks the surface inhabitants of 18 might accomplish is far too long to enumerate in my remaining time, but I would just note that Steven Squires, the Principle Investigator of the Mars Pathfinder mission

once said that a single crew could accomplish in one week what took two rovers five years to do.'

During his evidence Mr Aldrin attempted to lighten the mood of the hearing by showing off a pair of planetary themed socks to those around him.

Mr Aldrin's evidence was briefly interupted when his mobile phone buzzed loudly, causing him to sheepishly fumble in is pocket.

After 10 seconds of silence, US Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican chairing the hearing, asked: 'Just tell us if that's a call from the space station.'