As NASA’s unmanned Spirit rover, stationed on Mars, prepares to explore the planet, Russia is now planning to send a manned mission to the Red planet in 2014 consisting of up to six cosmonauts.
"Red" planet, huh? OK, commie, the race is on!
"Technically the first human flight to Mars would be possible in 2014," a designer of Russian Space Corporation "Energiya", Leonid Gorshkov was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS. "Energiya" corporation has already developed the project of Mars shuttle for to-and-fro journey of cosmonauts to the Red planet. NASA’s unmanned Spirit rover is already stationed on Mars and had sent pictures of the planet’s terrain last week. The rover is expected to separate from its lander and step out anytime to explore the planet.
It rolled off the lander this morning. Hey, Europe, how’s your probe doing?
The Russian plans come into open as US President George W Bush is all set to announce an ambitious project to establish a training base on moon that can serve as a launch pad for farther-reaching missions to Mars and elsewhere.
.Also makes a excellent location for our Death Ray
Unlike the US project costing $150 billion, Russia would need only $15 billion, ten times less the American project, Gorshkov underscored.
"We saved money by throwing out all that useless backup gear and safety equipment. Soviet Russian equipment always works, it’s a order."
The 70-tonne Martian ship being developed by "Energiya" would resemble the "Zvezda" module of International Space Station and would be assembled on the Earth’s orbit from the parts lifted by Russia’s "Proton" rockets. The proposed Russian interplanetary space ship will be equipped with Electro-jets for propulsion with the help of solar energy - successfully tested on "Mir" orbital station. The manned mission to Mars would last for one-and-half to two years and during the maiden flight the cosmonauts will work only on the Martian orbit, while an automatic module will land on the Red Planet’s surface. After the accomplishment of the mission the Mars ship will remain in space on the Earth’s orbit for the future missions and in the meantime could be used as orbital weapons platform lab, Gorshkov said.
I love a good race, let’s go! |