The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is already making preparations for a manned flight to Mars, but scientists said that the U.S. space agency should consider taking a "minimal architecture" approach if it wants to land astronauts on the Red Planet cost-effectively.
The suggested plan involves a "dress rehearsal" that would test the Mars landing system on the moon. NASA would then embark on a mission where four astronauts would be sent to first orbit the Red Planet and land on one of its moons, the 6 kilometer-wide Phobos in 2033.
Two astronauts would then spend a month on the surface of the Red Planet in 2039, which would be followed by four astronauts who would spend a year on the Martian surface in 2043.
Landers that carry cargo, which could include science equipment, power systems and pressurized rovers, as well as surface habitat, would arrive ahead of the crew to help ensure their survival.
Hoppy Price, from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said that it is a good idea to get astronauts to either Phobos or Deimos, another one of Mars' tiny moons, before attempting to land them on the Martian surface. He said that breaking up the manned Mars mission into discrete parts reduces risks and costs.
"Annual budget constraints need to be considered as a design requirement for human journey to Mars architectures since it is likely that the NASA budget will not see a dramatic increase beyond adjustments for inflation," Price and colleagues wrote in the journal New Space. "This in turn requires a phased approach toward establishing a permanent outpost on Mars to allow the technical risk and the required funding to be spread out and still deliver significant and publicly engaging milestones along the way."
As the base on Mars expands, scientists said, some of the crew would stay for a minimum of about 350 days while others may stay longer and wait for the next opportunity to return to Earth. The scientists said that the base could eventually be occupied permanently through this means and gradually increase it self-sufficiency.
Price noted that the design is not an official strategy of NASA but a concept that could help people see the manned exploration of the Red Planet in a more positive light.
"With all of these previous technical and fiscal issues addressed, we can again believe that the dream of sending people to Mars is alive," said Scott Hubbard from Stanford University.
