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Buzz Aldrin Says: US Must Colonize Mars
Thursday, May 9, 2013 3:27
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Buzz Aldrin says US must colonize Mars
Buzz Aldrin, the American astronaut who was the second man to walk on the Moon, said Wednesday that the United States must lead the way toward building a permanent settlement on Mars.
Speaking at a conference of space experts in the US capital, the 83-year-old said the United States should apply what it learned decades ago by reaching the moon toward building a new colony on the Red Planet.
Buzz Aldrin, the American astronaut who was the second man to walk on the Moon
“The US needs to begin homesteading and settlement of Mars,” Aldrin said at the Humans to Mars conference at George Washington University. “It is within reach.”
His call for US leadership in the space race to Mars largely lines up with plans set forth by NASA and President Barack Obama’s administration to send the first people to Mars in the 2030s
But unlike NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who acknowledged at the start of the three-day conference on Monday that significant technological gaps remain, Aldrin said the bulk of the research has already been done.
“There is really very little new research that is required,” Aldrin said, calling for cash investment and political will to sustain the vision of a permanent dual-planetary society.
. Mars – the Red Planet
“The US needs to continue to be the human space transportation leader and I think we can capitalize on the dynamism of the commercial market to develop a landing system that can truly become the basis for a US highway to space.”
Aldrin, who has authored a new book titled “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration,” said the title should have been “Missions to Mars” since the trips will be many and the human presence should be continuous.
“We are talking about multiple missions to eventually settle and colonize Mars,” said Aldrin, who also plugged his plan to send spacecraft on cycling orbits that would engage in perpetual trajectories between Earth and Mars.
“We should focus our attention on establishing a permanent human presence on Mars by the 2030-2040 decade.
“The United States will be a beacon for the development of humanity.”
