U.S. Partnering With Private Firms to Send Humans to Mars by 2030s, Obama Says

Check it out, ATS. We all know about NASA's intentions for Mars so this isn't anything new to ATS but the fact that Obama is making this announcement kinda makes it official to me and not just another pipe-dream.

The president announced Tuesday that the U.S. is partnering with private firms with the goal of "sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time." "This week, we'll convene some of America's leading scientists, engineers, innovators and students in Pittsburgh to dream up ways to build on our progress and find the next frontiers," Obama wrote in a CNN op-ed announcing his plans. The public-private partnerships will come together at the White House Frontiers Conference, a science and technology convention co-hosted with the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. Obama will go to the conference on Thursday. Obama has long made space exploration a priority of his administration. He first challenged NASA to send American astronauts to Mars in a 2010 speech at the Kennedy Space Center. "I expect to be around to see it," he said at the time. Since then, NASA has laid the groundwork for deep space missions, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

Obama says that the plan is to take advantage of investment(s) in the public and private sectors to successfully and sustainably access the final frontier. Unlike SpaceX which plans to send people on one-way trips, NASA plans to get people there then returrn them home and, ultimately, remain there for an extended time." So, what says ATS?

www.nbcnews.com...

This is a step in the right direction at least. It's nice to see us at least talking about doing something worthwhile again, for a change.

That being said, some significant technological advances will have to be made in order for us to not only put people on Mars, but be able to return them as well.

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance
This is a step in the right direction at least. It's nice to see us at least talking about doing something worthwhile again, for a change.

That being said, some significant technological advances will have to be made in order for us to not only put people on Mars, but be able to return them as well.

3D and even 4D printing will be huge for the colonists. Dare I say Yuge!!!

Before understanding the hugeness of the Galaxy, and how close we are to destroying ourselves, I was excited about going to Mars. Ah..the good old days of innocence and wonder! Sometimes I wish I were 10 years old again.

originally posted by: lostbook
3D and even 4D printing will be huge for the colonists. Dare I say Yuge!!!

Yeah, the first set of colonists will mostly be setting up gigantic citywide sized 3d machines and cementworks to run them, then sit back and watch as a city gets slowly poured out.

I am wondering what the long term effects of low gravity will be for colonists. 1/3rd the gravity is gonna make for some very strange body shapes. perhaps extremely frail people without very heavy body suits and exoskeletons. The problem with that is if any martians ever visit earth, they will be too weak to stand the gravitational forces of earth for too long.

Finally something President Obama and I agree on.

I just wish he had taken this initiative earlier in his term. If nothing else, the advancement of space travel could have been the keystone of his presidency. Regardless, this initiative is a positive for him and something I hope he's proud of.

Oh that again ... Yeah mars 2030.
Kinda hard to believe. America send men to the moon in the 70's but that was a different America than it is today.
First rebuild America , make peace with the world and than maybe Mars inc.

R.I.P. Mars colonists 2030. It was nice knowing thee.

a reply to: lostbook

If readers read the Project Camelot forum they would learn that it seems the US and their partners, whoever they are, have been on Mars for 20 years or so anyway.

Phil Schneider said milit-tree techology went ahead 20 years for every year of civilian technology.

originally posted by: Azureblue
a reply to: lostbook

If readers read the Project Camelot forum they would learn that it seems the US and their partners, whoever they are, have been on Mars for 20 years or so anyway.

Phil Schneider said milit-tree techology went ahead 20 years for every year of civilian technology.

Milt Tree? So, that's then name for the tech that's way advanced...?

originally posted by: projectvxn
Finally something President Obama and I agree on.

I just wish he had taken this initiative earlier in his term. If nothing else, the advancement of space travel could have been the keystone of his presidency. Regardless, this initiative is a positive for him and something I hope he's proud of.

Earlier in his term Obama had to deal with Constellation and how to manage the fallout after cancelling it. I think the solution, called the SLS(Space Launch System), is the right move. The advancement of Space Travel could very well be his legacy but the advancements won't be seen by the public until after he's gone from the oval. Space was opened to the private sector under Obama, the SLS was put into development under Obama, the current push for boots on Mars was initiated under Obama, etc. The advancement of Space initiatives WILL be his legacy so long as other administrations don't undo his work.

a reply to: lostbook

Na, its the correct pronunciation for the collective name for the army, navy and airforce.