Unfortunately, getting a Mars mission off the ground is going to cost a whole lot of cash, and that’s money that NASA simply doesn’t have. As Ars Technica breaks down, the prospect of a manned Mars mission on NASA’s dime is, for the time being at least, little more than a lofty dream.
At a meeting in March, NASA’s chief of human spaceflight, Bill Gerstenmaier, uttered two words that are like a stake in the heart of anyone who dreams of see man walk on Mars: “flat budget.” This is essentially NASA’s way of saying that they’ll do their best with what they already have, and aren’t counting on seeing loftier budgets in the near future, or even an increase based on inflation. That’s bad news for a Mars mission, and the figures needed to make a Mars mission a reality simply aren’t there.
At present, the budget for the four-year period from 2019 through 2023 does not allow any wiggle room to even begin working on actual Mars mission plans, aside from studies related to Mars habitation. For the next half decade, NASA won’t be working towards the goal of a manned Mars landing in any substantial way, and it’s unclear whether that has a chance to change in the years that follow. – READ MORE
[give_form id=”79809″] [contentcards url=”http://bgr.com/2018/04/26/mars-budget-nasa-off-the-table/” target=”_blank”]