SA plans human colonies on Red Planet

US space agency aims to establish habitations on Mars in three stages within the coming 25 years

Washington, Oct 10: The US space agency has released a detailed outline of its plans to send manned mission to Mars.

In a report titled "SA's Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration," agency administrator Charles Bolden said that SA is closer to sending American astrouts to Mars than at any point in our history.

"Today, we are publishing additiol details about our journey to Mars plan and how we are aligning all of our work in support of this goal.

"In the coming weeks, I look forward to continuing to discuss the details of our plan with members of Congress, as well as our commercial and our intertiol and partners, many of whom will be attending the Intertiol Astroutical Congress next week," he said in a statement.

The journey to Mars crosses three thresholds, each with increasing challenges as humans move farther from Earth.

The "Earth Reliant" exploration is focused on research aboard the Intertiol Space Station.

"From this world-class microgravity laboratory, we are testing technologies and advancing human health and performance research that will eble deep space, long duration missions," Bolden added.

In the "Proving Ground", SA will learn to conduct complex operations in a deep space environment that allows crews to return to Earth in a matter of days.

"SA will advance and validate capabilities required for humans to live and work at distances much farther away from our home planet, such as at Mars," he stated.

"Earth Independent" activities build on what we learn on the space station and in deep space to eble human missions to the Mars vicinity, possibly to low-Mars orbit or one of the Martian moons, and eventually the Martian surface.

Future Mars missions will represent a collaborative effort between SA and its partners - a global achievement that marks a transition in humanity's expansion as we go to Mars to seek the potential for sustaible life beyond Earth.

Living and working in space require accepting risks - and the journey to Mars is worth the risks.

A new and powerful space transportation system is key to the journey, but SA also will need to learn new ways of operating in space, based on self-reliance and increased system reliability.

"We will use proving ground missions to validate transportation and habitation capabilities as well as new operatiol approaches to stay productive in space while reducing reliance on Earth." the statement further read.

With the Space Launch System, Orion crewed spacecraft, and revitalised space launch complex, the US space agency is developing core transportation capabilities for the journey to Mars and ensuring continued access for commercial crew and cargo partners to maintain operations and stimulate new economic activity in low-Earth orbit.

Three incremental stages outlined by SA

*    Earth Reliant - where the space agency will focus on human health, behavioral and advance communication research with the Intertiol Space Station.

*    Proving Ground - where experiments will be conducted in deep space in an environment that will allow humans to get back to Earth.

*    Earth Independent - human missions will be sent to Martian moons before eventually landing on the Martian surface.