July 27, 2008
The Next Giant Leap For Mankind
60 Minutes Reports On NASA's Plans To Return Men To The Moon In Preparation For A Manned Flight To Mars
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A Bigger Leap For Mankind
With the Space Shuttle program ending soon, NASA is planning to return astronauts to the moon in preparation for a future flight to Mars. Bob Simon reports.
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In 2007, white dirt appeared in Mars exploration rover Spirit’s tracks. It was silica. The presence of water is required to produce such a high concentration. And inside what’s known as the Victoria Crater, rover Opportunity is finding proof that water once saturated the sub-surface of Mars. (AP / file)
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Mars Exploration Rovers
NASA's Opportunity and Spirit rovers beam back images from Mars.
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Eye On Space
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NASA is serious, very serious, about launching the most difficult mission ever attempted by the human race: putting an astronaut on Mars. The voyage will cover hundreds of millions of miles and take two-and-a-half years for the roundtrip. It sounds like science fiction.
To make it scientific fact, the United States needs to first visit familiar terrain - the moon.
It’s been nearly 40 years since Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind and almost as long since the American public was truly captivated by the space program. You may not know it, but as 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon first reported this spring, the journey to send humans back to the moon and beyond has already begun.
From the mountains of Utah to the factory floors of Cleveland, from the space center in Houston to the marshes of Virginia, spacesuits are being tested, rockets are being fired, and capsules are being designed. The United States is once again aiming to launch astronauts to the moon and yes, even, to Mars.
"What’s impossible? What can’t we do if we wanna do it badly enough?" asks Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon. He calls his trip on Apollo 17 a visit to God’s front porch. He says anything seemed achievable in those days.
"When I came back from the moon in ’72, [I] stood on my soapbox and said, ‘We’re not only going back to the moon, we’re gonna be on our way to Mars by the turn of the century.' I believed it with my whole heart. But my glass has been half empty for the last 30 years. Now, it’s half full."
It’s half full because NASA is returning to what Cernan calls the romance of space: dramatic human missions to other worlds.
What will propel the astronauts is the new Ares rockets, but they won’t be ready until 2015.
"A lot of people don’t understand. They say, ‘Why can’t we go to the moon, we've already been there.' Well, we can’t really roll up the garage door and dust off the Saturn V rockets. That whole infrastructure was dismantled after the Apollo program," says Dr. Rick Gilbrech, NASA’s exploration chief.
The decision to dismantle Apollo and to cancel possible future trips to places like Mars was made during the Nixon era. Dr. Mike Griffin, NASA's current director, says that was wrong. "It has to rank as one of the colossal mistakes in history," he says.
And that mistake, Griffin says, led to the Space Shuttle, which he believes doesn’t generate as much excitement because it never leaves the Earth’s orbit. Griffin says Americans are bored by the space program because NASA has run a boring space program. The Space Shuttle will finally be retired in two years. In its place will be the new exploration program called "Constellation."
There is no question Mars is the ultimate goal, but why return to the moon? Why not go straight to Mars?
"If we didn’t have a moon, we would. And we could. But it would be much riskier," Griffin says.
Produced by Draggan Mihailovich
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 75 CommentsAnd i cringe at the stupidity of people that continually say that space exploration and colonization is a waste of money and resources. They would have us remain here with all our eggs in one basket untill some unforeseen natural disaster ends the human race alltogether. But you can bet in the days or hours before it happened they would be screaming the loudest about the incompetence of not moving humanity out into space and beyond.
I think the U.S. should pursue this trip to Mars. Nobody can say the trip is impossible, back when we thought of going to the moon people called us crazy and said it was impossible. Only time will tell, I hope we give it a shot.
How in the heck are we supposed to colonize Mars when astranauts have to spend a year and a half one way to
Mars.
What about radiation poisoning, food, being cooped up for a year and don''t even dream that we have figured out how to use statis.
The only real way is the throw the Constellation/Orion and other antique propulsion technology on the trash heap.
One propulsion technology just published talks about near light speed propulsion taking the soon to be moth balled shuttle to 63,000,000 million miles an hour and not 25,000 like Griffin''s Orion.
http://nlspropulsion.net
The one way trip would take 144 days !!!
The NLS technology is being presented with open arms all over the world.
Hello NASA, where''s the beef in Orion.
We need to save the thousands of shuttle jobs while using a new propulsion technology that will realisticly allow us to colonize space.
I have read and studied the over 200 propulsion systems NASA and a few others have proposed. Nothing
even comes close to this NLS propulsion.
Remember when it was said man would never fly, and after he flew it was said he could never exceed the speed of sound, And after doing that it is said we can never exceed the speed of light. someone someday will surpass that barrier as well. If the mind of man can dream it, he will achieve it. I just dont see where Bush bashing and the need for oil has anything to do with it cpaide.
old is grown.
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While it''s definitely true that big companies have lots of money, it''s ridiculous to think that they will be faster or more efficient. We already have big companies running the war on Iraq (blackwater, etc.). Take a look at the miserable failure they''ve accomplished!
The problem with privitizing any government function is that ONLY goal of private companies is MAKING MONEY. Creating a beneficial endproduct is NOT their goal. If "cost overruns" keep the money flowing, that''s just fine with them. Actually doing the job is unimportant to them.
Think of privitizing government functions as taxing the poor and giving the money to the very, very wealthy.
Well, you could ask your buddy Murtha to cut back on his pork diet. Think of all the money these fools spend on things like bridges to nowhere.
I think we will get a huge return on investment from an effort to land humans on Mars. Like the Apollo days, there will be many significant technological advances that will trickle down to society in general. And suppose we actually do find evidence of past life on Mars? {As an aside, it would probably drive our old creationist buddy singinrick nuts trying to figure out how to get Mars life onto the Ark}
I''m all for this and so are my kids. Let''s do something exciting again that we can all benefit from and be proud of. Life is much more than just paying your mortgage, going to work and having a beer on the weekends.
We know full well that our planet and all its inhabitants are but a small part of the immense universe that surrounds us and it is with humility and hope that we take this step. KW
Posted by rf35 at 11:56 AM : Apr 07, 2008
I''m afraid any exodus into space will not have the slightest effect on population levels on Earth. Currently population growth on Earth as about 80 million per year; we''d need to put over 200,000 people on spaceships every day just to compensate.
It seems to me sometimes like we were placed here to solve a riddle. You know dig and drill on the moon for some kind of resource, find water beneath Mars4s surface and plant plants there, and on to the next planet, hop, skip and jump. You know, like the aliens won4t talk to us until we4ve evolved enough.
I also don4t share the pessimism about earth4s development, I mean we are only now establishing governing bodies akin to an earth council. We are developing the right way to do things, economically and ecologically. Who is to say we won4t find ways to agree on a sustainable amount of inhabitants, f.e.?
But it is true, that the nations, corporations, and powers that be need to establish a space faring industry, and NASA4s monopoly needs to be broken. They seem to present us with problems instead of possibilities. There4s stuff in their drawers and archives, that belong to the people.
Posted by mooncamping
There is nothing to agree on...a sustainable amount of inhabitants is approx. 1 billion, give or take several million.
"I''m afraid any exodus into space will not have the slightest effect on population levels on Earth. Currently population growth on Earth as about 80 million per year; we''d need to put over 200,000 people on spaceships every day just to compensate."
Posted by rational_1
Which is incentive not to be one of the ones left on Earth!
Seriously, I''m beginning to think there will eventually be a sort of "critical mass" reached with the population. A point where a massive die-off will occur and drop the population to something more sustainable. A true pandemic or massive famine or something currently unimagined will come along eventually. Maybe the predicted water shortages, but I doubt that will kill the billions needed to make Earth a viable home for any long-term future. Of course, if humans limited themselves to no more than two, preferably just on child per couple, we%u2019d be there in just a few generations. But no chance of that, is there? Colonization of other solar systems is more realistic.
FIT is the greatest single waste of human intellect the world has ever known.
ROFLMFAO!!!
Posted by rf35 at 12:41 PM : Apr 07, 2008
I''ve thought much the same. Scares me how crowded it''s getting and how quickly we''re burning through our natural resources. For a while now I''ve been thinking of buying some land in the Texas mountains in the Big Bend area where almost no one lives, just in case all he!! breaks loose (wife thinks it''s for vacations). OMG, I''m turning into Ted Kazcynski!!
why do you have to hide your intentions of your "vacation home" from your wife? If she doesn''t agree with your thoughts, what are you doing?
why do you have to hide your intentions of your "vacation home" from your wife? If she doesn''''t agree with your thoughts, what are you doing?
Posted by locke10 at 03:52 PM : Apr 07, 2008
I''m not really hiding it from her. She knows that I think there is a possibility that things could go to he!! in a handbasket. When we''ve talked about buying land around Big Bend it is largely and truly for the purpose of being near great places like the Texas mountains and New Mexico, and that is the primary reason. We''re big into hiking and as our kids are getting older we want to do that with them and this part of Texas would make a great base. I don''t emphasize the fact that it would also probably be a great place to hole up in case things go badly (like a worldwide plague), just because there''s no point in freaking her out or making her think I''m being paranoid. I''m not not all sure (or even confident) that something really bad will happen, but with 6 billion people on the planet, and near instant transmission of disease via airlines, things could get bad quickly if some lethal virus mutates to be easily transmissible. So, I''m not really hiding anything from my wife - just considering bonuses with getting a place in the Texas mountains. I just stated it badly in my first message.
Immediatly stop all monies going to test and build stuff for human space travel! This Earth is our home! If you continue to spend money on stupid wars and look to the stars only for glory and a new home, you will definately lose this one!
From what I recall, they also played golf.
When you send humans, you have to solve all sorts of new problems that will make us more efficient on Earth. Anyone see an Exxon between here and Mars? Nope. No extension cords either. No Water towers, no air conditioning. We have to solve some great challenges on the way which will teach us to appreciate the conveniences of Earth, and help us be a more efficient human race. Thanks to the space program, we have fuel cells, tankless water heaters, and numerous medical technologies that save lives. All because we needed to power the space station, let the astronauts take hot showers, and make sure those folks were healthy while they did their research.
Think of robots as our Lewis and Clark. Humans were given minds so we may explore. Every step we have taken so far has brought us new gains, new knowledge. This step will be no different.
Oh--and by the way--investing in space has generated a n industry with around $240 Billion in revenue -- They pay lots of taxes so we can pay for Obama''s preschool program, and all those Congressional earmarks, and still go to Mars!
I am no scientist but I do have a bad feeling about "blasting holes" in the moon''s surface to look for hydrogen. Here we go...meddling with nature again...it''s not bad enough we already almost ruined this planet?
That comes to $54.75 per person, per year, which could do alot of good right here in our own backyard. And BTW...what adult do you know that chews more than $0.15 of bubble gum a day?
Hi Wendell,
As you may remember, we worked together on the Lunar IR Radiometer on Apollo 17. You are managing a manned lunar mission as a way station to Mars exploration. I''m sorry, but I consider the proposed manned Mars exploration part a massive, trillion dollar waste that will never be funded by thinking US taxpayers (unfortunately, the last three words are an oxymoron.)
For over 28 years I have been pursuing a Quixotic quest proposing a lunar solar power station, which has also been promoted by Dr. David Criswell of the University of Houston. Unlike, Dr. Criswell, who has been recycling his paper, with cartoon pictures of lunar solar power stations over many years, without defining how they are going to be paid for, my technical paper (Appendix A) shows realistic drawings and calculations extrapolated from the NASA/DOE 1977-1980 SPS studies of solar energy from geosynchronous solar satellites. More importantly, I believe I show how this can be paid for without any increase in US taxes, while at the same time stopping and ultimately reversing global warming and reducing US taxes, without any job layoffs, or change in life styles on anyone''s part.
I look forward to hearing your comments and criticism.
Best regards,
Gerry Falbel
472 Westover Road
Stamford CT 06902
203-357-0626
Let me just say at the outset that any further funding of the NASA bueracracy is a complete and total waste of public monies.
You will note in reading this article on the first page no mention of sqawdering Billions of precious tho valueless U.S. dollars is mentioned.
As for science all moon base hopes where destroyed with the Nixon administration a close cohort to the Bush administration. any funding that could have been used is now in Iraqi hands.
As for science there is no science that currnetly justifies this expendature that can`t be achieved thru observation and funding could be used to clean up the only planet in the solar system where we know life does exist right here on earth.
So by the powers invested in me by Einstein and Newton I declare NASA Missions as being a waste at present.
Sincerely your Quantum Bear
Fuzzy
Fuel Cells were first envisioned by
German Scientist in 1944 as well as computing techniques, all the math and science for any of the modern technicals came in the early 1930''s
long before NASA`s useless existance.
All NASA exists for is a useless wayplace for Texan and California wannabee scientist,
Much like Los Alamos the only science achieved at Los Alamos was by Oppenheimer 50 years ago
nothing Else worth public funding justifies its existance.
sincerely trying to keep America on the right Track Bear
Fuzzy
Of all the American citizens who would like to see humans on Mars, it is important to realize the NASA model will cost the most, and deliver the least. Not to mention, those who do not share your dream would rather waste the money on "Operation Desert Boondoggle" or whatever it''s called now. Give the government instructions to steal our money, and surely they will waste it. Private organizations can do the job better. If only the government did not take half our income, the real pioneers would not be shackled to the ground. The folks who favor NASA have been living in fantasyland.
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