NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, speaking in 2023:
"2040."
When will a human first walk on Mars?
Re: When will a human first walk on Mars?
Starship will be ready in just a few years, the big problem however is not sending people to Mars, is sending people to Mars in a safe way. Sending people to Mars using chemical rockets is too slow, too uncomfortable. Astronauts would stay months in a claustrophobic environment with no gravity. There is no way such endeavor to be profitable. Lots would probably die.
The right way would be to use nuclear electric propulsion, also, build a ship with artificial gravity. This would drive costs up, but would provide a much safer, much more comfortable, much faster trip to Mars, in such way as to make tourism to Mars possible.
The right way would be to use nuclear electric propulsion, also, build a ship with artificial gravity. This would drive costs up, but would provide a much safer, much more comfortable, much faster trip to Mars, in such way as to make tourism to Mars possible.
