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Thread: NASA's Journey to Mars

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    Post NASA's Journey to Mars

    I'm not very good at embellishment, but I'm far too excited by the thought of humanity stepping foot on the Red Planet in my lifetime to not post this, so I'll just copy/paste from NASA's website, here:



    The first future human mission to Mars and those that follow will require the ingenuity and dedication of an entire generation. We take the next step on that journey with the uncrewed, first flight test of Orion.
    Image Credit: NASA

    Quote Originally Posted by NASA
    In the not-too-distant future, astronauts destined to be the first people to walk on Mars will leave Earth aboard an Orion spacecraft. Carried aloft by the tremendous power of a Space Launch System rocket, our explorers will begin their Journey to Mars from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the spirit of humanity with them to the Red Planet.

    The first future human mission to Mars and those that follow will require the ingenuity and dedication of an entire generation. It's a journey worth the risks. We take the next step on that journey this Thursday, Dec. 4, with the uncrewed, first flight test of Orion. (Follow along on the Orion Blog, or see the full schedule of events and launch viewing opportunities).

    Orion is the first spacecraft built for astronauts destined for deep space since the storied Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s. It is designed to go farther than humans have ever traveled, well beyond the moon, pushing the boundaries of spaceflight to new heights.

    Orion will open the space between Earth and Mars for exploration by astronauts. This proving ground will be invaluable for testing capabilities future human Mars missions will need. The area around our moon, in particular, called cis-lunar space, is a rich environment for testing human exploration needs, like advanced spacewalking suits, navigating using gravity, and protecting astronauts from radiation and extreme temperatures.

    One of Orion's early missions in the 2020s will send astronauts to explore an asteroid, which will be placed in a stable orbit around the moon using a robotic spacecraft. This Asteroid Redirect Mission will test new technologies, like Solar Electric Propulsion, which will help us send heavy cargo to Mars in advance of human missions. Astronauts aboard Orion will return to Earth with samples of the asteroid, having tested a number of collection tools and techniques we'll use in future human missions to Mars or its moons.

    Astronauts will board Orion for a first crewed flight in 2021. Many of Orion's systems needed for that flight and others will be tested on Thursday with the first uncrewed flight test.

    Orion’s flight test is designed to test many of the riskiest elements of leaving Earth and returning home in the spacecraft. It will evaluate several key separations events, including the jettison of the launch abort system that will be capable of carrying astronauts on future missions to safety if a problem were to arise on the launch pad or during ascent to space, and the separation of the Orion crew module from its service module ahead of its reentry though Earth’s atmosphere.

    Orion’s heat shield also will be tested to examine how the spacecraft endures its high speed return from deep space. The heat shield will experience temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit during Thursday’s test, and will come back at about 80 percent of the speed the spacecraft would endure returning from the vicinity of the moon.

    Other elements will also be put to the test, including how Orion’s computers handle the radiation environment in the Van Allen Belt, the spacecraft’s attitude control and guidance and how its 11 parachutes slow the crew module to just about 20 mph ahead of its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

    Teams also will evaluate the procedures and tools used to recover Orion from the ocean after it touches down about 600 miles southwest of San Diego and is transported back to shore.

    Testing these capabilities now will help ensure that Orion will be the next generation spacecraft for missions in the 2020s that will put Mars within the reach of astronauts in the 2030s.

    As development continues on Orion, astronauts aboard the International Space Station are helping us learn how to protect the human body for longer durations, which missions to Mars will require. Researchers operating increasingly advanced rovers and spacecraft on and around Mars are revealing the planet's history while characterizing its environment to better prepare for human explorers. Here on Earth, the U.S. spaceflight industry is building and testing next generation technologies NASA will need to send astronauts to Mars and return them safely.

    The Journey to Mars is humanity's Next Giant Leap into our solar system. The Orion spacecraft and its first flight test will help make it possible.
    Live streams of various briefings and panels can be found here, a previous Reddit AMA can be found here, and a current Reddit AMA can be found here.

    So, what do you think? Are you as excited as I am?
    Last edited by Incurable; 12-03-2014 at 04:23 AM.



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    Incredible. I'm very happy to see NASA is making great strides yet again. Hopefully the results of this expedition will be beneficial beyond simple bragging rights (discovering more about life on Mars, resources, etc).

    As a little kid I dreamed of being an astronaut, totally nerding out and reading books/encyclopedias about space. That dream was crushed by reality pretty quickly but I still eagerly follow these kinds of stories

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    This got me really excited! heheh started imagining lots of stuff. It got me at the part that said "segining heavy cargo to mars". This has really high expectations! i want it to be 2030 now :P

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    Quote Originally Posted by Clarity View Post
    Incredible. I'm very happy to see NASA is making great strides yet again. Hopefully the results of this expedition will be beneficial beyond simple bragging rights (discovering more about life on Mars, resources, etc).

    As a little kid I dreamed of being an astronaut, totally nerding out and reading books/encyclopedias about space. That dream was crushed by reality pretty quickly but I still eagerly follow these kinds of stories
    I remember as a kid (1st or 2nd grade) I wanted to be an astronaut, but then I found out that the food in space was bad... and boom! I no longer wished to be an astronaut

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    Quote Originally Posted by NASA
    In the not-too-distant future
    I hope this is better as a soon-ish/soon/almost done here on villavu

    Making predicitions for 2030 is a long time ahead!

    Quote Originally Posted by No Lifer View Post
    I remember as a kid (1st or 2nd grade) I wanted to be an astronaut, but then I found out that the food in space was bad... and boom! I no longer wished to be an astronaut
    They lied, food is pretty good in space:



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    Quote Originally Posted by masterBB View Post
    They lied, food is pretty good in space:



    oh awesome, I guess I'll go check if there's some nice deals for spacesuits online

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    UPDATE: For anyone who missed it, here's a video of the first test flight of the Orion spacecraft atop the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy...




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    I don't think humanity will travel to any planet unless it's for visiting "other life" / making a settlement there.
    Why not:
    Why would you risk human life's doing stuff that robots also can do.
    Why they travelled to the moon: proving USA was better than sovjet unie. But since there isn't a real we are better in space stuff battle anymore.

    Oh wait that was an actual NASA post? I thought It was just a made up story ...
    Dumb humans, I love them!

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    A great resource I would point you out to is NASA's DRA 5.0 (Design Reference Architecture), it outlines their plans for a manned Mars mission, they had planned on 2030 launch date but now they're looking to push that way back. There's just so much more risk with manned over unmanned space vehicles, you've got to take into account space debris now with a pressurized compartment, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, and space radiation with current space radiation shielding technologies will almost surely guarantee the crew bad cancer by the time they get back/life long illnesses. Not to burst bubbles here it can be done, support engineers! (go to your local freemason lodge and contribute a bond. Yeah sure RS makes 10%, but we gotta let Britain's number one antiques wheeler-and-dealer Mark Olivier have his snacks).
    http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/373665main_NASA-SP-2009-566.pdf
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    in my honest opinion, we need to stop looking 20,30,50 years into the future for these 'humanity accomplishments' and focus on what IS really important a little closer to now.


    last time I checked ( just a figure of speech, i've never checked so correct me if i'm wrong ) there is still no solution to our water problem, land problems, pollution problems, etc.

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    Quote Originally Posted by theholyone View Post
    in my honest opinion, we need to stop looking 20,30,50 years into the future for these 'humanity accomplishments' and focus on what IS really important a little closer to now.


    last time I checked ( just a figure of speech, i've never checked so correct me if i'm wrong ) there is still no solution to our water problem, land problems, pollution problems, etc.
    There is a solution! And that solution will be space travel lol! That's why going to Mars is important it will lead the way for space travel to places further than the moon! Maybe we won't need to save our planet! We'll just leave it behind.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fady View Post
    There is a solution! And that solution will be space travel lol! That's why going to Mars is important it will lead the way for space travel to places further than the moon! Maybe we won't need to save our planet! We'll just leave it behind.
    LOL out with the old, in with the new eh? XD

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    Quote Originally Posted by theholyone View Post
    in my honest opinion, we need to stop looking 20,30,50 years into the future for these 'humanity accomplishments' and focus on what IS really important a little closer to now.


    last time I checked ( just a figure of speech, i've never checked so correct me if i'm wrong ) there is still no solution to our water problem, land problems, pollution problems, etc.
    I think this would help find a solution. think of the problems you would face trying to colonize the red planet for any amount of time. there is no water, breathable air, or any of the resources we need to survive. while they work on solutions to these problems to make a mission to mars possible they will at the same time be finding ways to do those same things here. they would likely find ways to purify the air, or some other method of manufacturing breathable air. not they they can't do it now, but they would have to find ways to make these things not only able to fit on a spaceship but will pave the way to making them more affordable.

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