Manned Mission To Mars - Challenges

Challenges

There are several key challenges that a human mission to Mars must overcome:

  1. physical effects of exposure to high-energy cosmic rays and other ionizing radiation.
  2. physical effects of a prolonged low-gravity environment, including eyesight loss.
  3. psychological effects of isolation from Earth.
  4. psychological effects of lack of community due to lack of real-time connections with Earth.
  5. social effects of several humans living under crowded conditions for over one Earth year.
  6. inaccessibility of terrestrial medical facilities.
  7. equipment failure of propulsion or life-support systems.

Some of these issues were estimated statistically in the HUMEX study. Ehlmann and others have reviewed political and economic concerns, as well as technological and biological feasibility aspects.

While fuel for roundtrip travel could be a challenge, methane and oxygen can be produced utilizing Martian H2O (preferably as water ice instead of chemically bound water) and atmospheric CO2 with mature technology.

Read more about this topic:  Manned Mission To Mars

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