Expedition to Mars

Steven
Mrs. Howell
World History Honors
5 May 2016

What I have learned

Over the past years, I have learned that NASA and Mars One are in the
process of inhabiting life Mars by the year 2028. Many people are debating on
whether the mission would be ethical or not acknowledging the fact that the
astronauts will never come back. However, 200,000 people wanted to dedicate
their lives to the voyage to Mars but 100 people were selected. The astronauts will
live in an outpost built by rovers that will deliver life support as well as keep the
community connected. The goals of this project is to determine whether life ever
arose on Mars, the climate and geology of Mars, the study of physical and
psychological of astronauts, and the astronauts preparation for human exploration.

Space craft
Orion

The Orion Space Shuttle will provide life support and power systems that can last to 6-900 days in Deep Space

The shuttle can hold 4 people and it is composed of its well known heat shield that can withstand more than the
original space shuttle upon entry

SLS & Launch and Abort System

The SLS Block 1 is being built but it needs to be tested for it's fuel mixture, components, abort mission, booster
casing, and the Orion parachutes before it is ready

Boeing is one of the other companies that will build its core which can make 8.5 million pounds of thrust

As each versions or blocks are created, NASA will upgrade its rocket boosters, core stage, and the crew
stage/payload stages with the Orion Module

Solar Electric Propulsion

The SEP is sort of similar to an ion thruster but it uses solar array which produces 350kw of power

Plans
Earth Reliant

Mastering fundamentals aboard the international space station

U.S. companies provide access to low-Earth orbit

Proving Grounds

Expand capabilities by visiting an asteroid redirected to a lunar distant retrograde orbit

Traveling beyond low-Earth orbit with the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft

Mars Ready

Developing planetary independence by exploring Mars, it moons and other deep space destinators

Requirements

The process through evaluation will start first with a person's key
characteristic traits

The person must be resilient, adaptable, curious, trustworthy, trusting, and

creative/resourceful

The candidate must be over the age of 18 and they must speak multiple
languages and meet the physical examination requirements

The candidates would be assigned in groups and would work under difficult
situations as a team and would live in an environment similar to Mars

Suits

It features an innovative suit port hatch for an easy access to get in or out and
it removed any foreign particles
Contains a Carbon Dioxide life support system which replaces the needs for
Lithium Hydroxide canisters
The suit design is going for a Tron like style which has a tough upper & lower
torso which offers a greater mobility and can be used in space and on
planetary surfaces
One of the other revolutionary features of this suit is that the suit is 3D
printable and that fits all crew members

Health

Astronauts have to do daily exercises up to 2-1/2 hours in order to maintain muscle mass and bone
density

Research suggests that long time spent in space will lead to osteoporosis

Astronauts have to take medication to support their bone density and their important daily vitamins
and minerals

some astronauts may faint due to a quick change of pressure so all astronauts are required to be
held in a 6 month therapy

The other effect is that personals are exposed to space radiation on a daily basis which will increase
the risks of developing carcinogenic cancers for CNS and cardiovascular problems

Performance and behavioral health decrements due to inadequate cooperation, coordination,

communication, and psychosocial adaptation within a team can alter one's well being

Curiosity
Mars has always been a source of inspiration for explorers and scientists.
Robotic missions have found evidence of water, but if life exists beyond Earth still
remains a mystery. Robotic and scientific robotic missions have shown that Mars
has characteristics and a history similar to Earth's, but we know that there are
differences that we have yet to begin to understand. Humans can build upon this
knowledge and look for signs of life and investigate Mars' geological evolution,
resulting in research and methods that could be applied on Earth.

Technology
The technology and space systems required to transport and sustain
explorers will drive innovation and encourage creative ways to address
challenges. As previous space endeavors have demonstrated, the resulting
ingenuity and technologies will have long lasting benefits and applications.

Community
The challenge of traveling to Mars and learning how to live there will
encourage nations around the world to work together to achieve such an
ambitious undertaking. The International Space station has shown that
opportunities for collaboration will highlight our common interests and provide a
global sense of community.

Reflection
I learned how capable mankind is able to grow when we have a community of
people supporting one another. It shows the extent of how far the human mind can
push itself and the potential in which an individual can achieve. Astronauts like
Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins or Buzz Aldrin who laid the first step on the
moon once said, "By refocusing our space program on Mars for America's future,
we can restore sense of wonder and adventure in space exploration that we knew
in the summer of 1969. We won the moon race; now its time for us to live and
work on Mars, first on its moons and then on it surface" - Buzz Aldrin. However,
going to Mars is harder than it seems. There are many challenges along the way
but that is what scientist, astronauts, and peoples childhoods like mine strive for.

Reflection
It was nice to continue to learn
about my childhood passion. I
never had the time nor the
interest to learn it on my own
and these blogs gave me an
opportunity to learn and have
fun at the same time.

It was challenging to meet my

blogging schedules but it was
manageable.- Steven Le