Buzz Aldrin says US must colonise Mars with a permanent human presence by 2030-2040

by:Kerry Sheridan From: AAP May 09, 2013

BUZZ Aldrin, the US astronaut who was the second man to walk on the moon, says his country must lead the way toward building a permanent settlement on Mars.

Speaking at a conference of space experts in the US capital on today, the 83-year-old said the United States should apply what it learned decades ago by reaching the moon toward building a new colony on the Red Planet.

"The US needs to begin homesteading and settlement of Mars," Aldrin said at the Humans to Mars conference at George Washington University.

"It is within reach."

His call for US leadership in the space race to Mars largely lines up with plans set forth by NASA and President Barack Obama's administration to send the first people to Mars in the 2030s.

But unlike NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who acknowledged at the start of the three-day conference that significant technological gaps remain, Aldrin said the bulk of the research has already been done.

"There is really very little new research that is required," he said, calling for cash investment and political will to sustain the vision of a permanent dual-planetary society.

"The US needs to continue to be the human space transportation leader and I think we can capitalise on the dynamism of the commercial market to develop a landing system that can truly become the basis for a US highway to space."

Aldrin, who has authored a new book titled Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration, said the title should have been Missions to Mars since the trips will be many and the human presence should be continuous.

"We are talking about multiple missions to eventually settle and colonise Mars," said Aldrin, who also plugged his plan to send spacecraft on cycling orbits that would engage in perpetual trajectories between earth and Mars.

"We should focus our attention on establishing a permanent human presence on Mars by the 2030-2040 decade.

"The United States will be a beacon for the development of humanity."

Aldrin described how there could be different modular habitats on Mars, perhaps built by the world's various space agencies from China, Europe, India, Japan and Russia, with the US in the leadership role.

He said a first step would be to send three people to the Martian moon Phobos "and use that year and a half to oversee the robotic deployment of the international Mars base".

He derided those who have suggested that people who make the trip to Mars may be able to come back to earth afterward.

"There is no other choice than to commit to permanence on Mars," Aldrin said.

"I just don't think you can have one-shot forays to the surface of Mars."

Aldrin was the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11.

On July 20, 1969, he and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to set foot on the moon.


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/buzz-aldrin-says-us-must-colonise-mars-with-a-permanent-human-presence-by-2030-2040/story-fn7celvh-1226638400114

Honestly would rather the private sector look into this more than Nasa. Space will only be worth it, when it actually is worth it to someone, but obviously at some point in time the issue of national territory will come into the fold should we ever colonise another area of space.

The New World only took off when it became profitable, I'd imagine history would repeat itself if we ever took the next step. I'm not sure if it'll be in my lifetime though.

OK Buzz, you got 10 Trillion lying around? NASA/US Government sure don't.

As soon as we get to mars, we'll just destroy it like we have this planet.

Wrong way to think about it.

I have an old space book from my childhood somewhere saying we'll be back on the moon by 2005 and on Mars by 2015. It hasn't happened/won't happen because of the enormous costs involved getting people into space. On the other hand, the technological advancements in robotics has meant probes and rovers can do all the same shit or even more for the fraction of the price. So until somebody builds Authur C Clarke's space elevator its not gonna happen.

Send all the ultraz! At least they know how to light the flares if they strike any trouble.

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Did anyone post this on here?

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2035 will mark the time when as much time has passed between then and the Moon Landing in 1969 as there was between the Moon Landing and the Wright brother's first powered flight in 1903.

Pretty depressing.

And still no hoverboards.

This is fucking retard logic.

Do you know how many trillions of private dollars have been made from the domestication of the technology developed for the original moon landing?

There haven't been any major global conflicts to accelerate the development of technology in that time period though.

What the FUCK does that have to do with the human race not yet having the means to achieve a manned mars mission without spending an unprecedented amount of money?

Why did NASA stop sending people to the moon if it was making people so rich?

Manned space travel in its most simple form is HIDEOUSLY expensive. Thats why so few nations have even attempted to try it. Amazing a feat as it was, the Apollo program was nothing more than the result of a dick measuring contest between the USA and the USSR. Yes, technology has made big differences in our lives but it does not change the fact that rockets cost a fuckload does it?

To be fair, there are a lot of nations with a space program.

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http://vimeo.com/53767959

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"GET YOUR ASS TO MARS!"


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"Open your mind..."

Edited by GloryPerth: 10/5/2013 12:39:37 AM

Today I learned about the (mooted) Pan-Arab Space Agency good luck to them in bringing Sharia law into space, maybe they'll put a veil on Venus :lol:

Although there's a lot of countries with scientific agencies that listen in to satellites or whatever (like Australia's CSIRO) the fact is only three countries have put humans into space, and no one's bothered to go further than we did 44 years ago. We've got a lot of work to do.

India, Russia, USA, China...that's four off the top of my head.

http://www.hark.com/clips/gbynlrnwwk-no-wonder-youre-having-nightmares

http://www.hark.com/clips/gxvlkggrdf-a-real-holiday-is-pain-in-the-butt

http://www.hark.com/clips/kzyzfsgcmy-im-not-interested-in-saturn-i-said-mars

http://www.hark.com/clips/gnspvzlbht-this-is-the-plan-gat-your-ass-to-mars

http://www.hark.com/total-recall-1990/you-mean-the-pyramid-mine

http://www.hark.com/clips/wcyyjfsdlv-open-your-mind-open-your-mind

I don't think India has put their own people into space yet, although there was that famous Indian NASA astronaut that died when space shuttle Columbia blew up.

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http://archive.org/details/RocketshipXM


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lol These people... Ah well atleast they're using/sourcing actual Mars rovers photographs, lol.


We have to find that 'Monolith on the Moon' first! :p

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Yet only two of these countries (not even the USA) currently have the capability to put a man in space.

This...

The US space program was largely helped by the 'discoveries' and 'research' the 'Nazi' scientists made back in the 40's (the experiments that were conducted on live 'subjects' as well as the various weaponry developed - V2 rockets, the various prototype aircraft developed for the luftwaffe).

If you believe some of the more 'out there' theories about the Nazi's, they were also apparently looking at space travel: http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/nazis-in-space.html

It will take a major conflict/disaster on Earth for us to seriously start looking at colonizing other planets.

Of course, Werner Von Braun, inventor of the V2, also designed the Saturn V for NASA. His biography was "I aim for the stars", someone else added "but sometimes I hit London".