adeyadey's Journal: "Mars Direct" goes in front of the senate..

Robert Zubrin, advocate of a manned "Mars Direct" mission, has presented his arguments to the senate.

All the assembled Senators asked for autographed copies of "The Case for Mars," and Senator Brownback (R-KS), chairman of the Space Subcommittee within the Commerce Committee, talked to Zubrin for some time after the hearing, and expressed a desire to hear more about Mars Direct in further hearings that could be held within his subcommittee in the near future.

Following the hearing, Zubrin traveled across town and met with a representative of the Executive branch who is currently engaged in a focused deliberation on determining a new direction for the US space program. The Executive branch representative had seen Zubrin's Senate testimony that morning over the TV, and was very impressed, keeping the Mars Society president in his office for over an hour, asking many questions, and finally taking eight copies of "The Case for Mars" to distribute among very high ranking personnel within the Bush administration.

Speculation is mounting that Bush will announce a new Space goal directive, on the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers flight this December. Could this be a Moon/Mars mission, and the end of stagnation of the US space program?

Big dreams, petty politics

[Tau Zero]

The problem with such ambitious-looking[1] schemes is that they present very tempting targets for political attacks. Anyone who feels they aren't getting enough benefit from the program will try to shunt the funds elsewhere (read up about William "Golden Fleece" Proxmire for a prime example of that). The people and companies who currently make their bread from the current state of affairs will also lobby heavily to avoid re-allocating resources.

We can only hope that the national appetite for small things

Re:Big dreams, petty politics

[adeyadey]

But I think Zubrins basic premise is correct - set NASA a clear, inspirational objective (men on mars), set up competing committees to evaluate possible ways to do it, then try to get the best valua out of competing contractors to actually do it.

Zubrins scheme calls for Nuclear generators on the surface to make the electricity for the fuel - otherwise he is proposing chemical rocket propulsion. I dont know how feasable it would be to replace his reactors with solar cells, remember that first stage has a l

Re:Big dreams, petty politics

[Tau Zero]

Solar cells are marginally feasible on Mars. Months-long dust storms which ISTR can reduce sunlight by 90% are not very friendly to the solar lifestyle. Remember, it was observations of Mars during storm season which provided the quantitative basis for projections of nuclear winter.