In a speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, the billionaire tech entrepreneur is detailing his vision for sending humans to the red planet.
Flying people to an asteroid is really hard, so NASA wants to bring part of it to them. But some former astronauts say the $2 billion plan was born of politics and budget cuts, and makes little sense.
Alex Longo hopes to be the first person to walk on Mars. In the meantime, the Raleigh, N.C., sophomore has suggested a landing site for the next rover mission. His pick is one of four finalists.
Six people spent that time living in a dome on a rocky volcanic plain on the island of Hawaii. The NASA-funded experiment was meant to simulate a long-term settlement on Mars.
During the "Mars opposition," which happens this Sunday, Mars will be closer to Earth than it has been for more than a decade. You can see it easily any night this weekend — no telescope necessary.
The Red Dragon missions are aimed at figuring out what's needed "to land large payloads propulsively on Mars." For now, the plan doesn't include sending astronauts to the red planet.
The InSight mission, which would send a lander to detect marsquakes and study the planet's interior, was scheduled for this month. It has been delayed because a pivotal piece of equipment was flawed.
During his 340 days aboard the International Space Station, the astronaut documented his time there with hundreds of photos. Kelly says the perspective makes him feel like an environmentalist.
The decision means a significant delay in the InSight program, because Earth's and Mars' orbits are aligned in a way that makes a launch possible only every 26 months. Blame a faulty seismometer.