The dubious projects of flights to Mars and its colonization

For many decades, Mars fascinates and attracts people. Latest "the surrendered" was like Matt Damon. Our cosmic neighbor, the distance to which at a different period of time may range from 55,8 to 401 million kilometres, is of great interest to us primarily because of its mysterious history. So it is not surprising that the recent announcement of plans to colonize the red planet appear almost every month.

So this month, just a few days ago, Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum announced the project "Mars 2117", according to which the UAE is going to build "the first manned Martian settlement" by 2117. The construction of even 100 years city on Mars sounds like science fiction, especially when you consider that the UAE has never launched there, even unmanned spacecraft.

But this is only one of the presented over-ambitious desires. Plans for the construction of the Martian colonies to date have accumulated on the car and small truck. Today we will briefly look at some of them. Starting from the less controversial to the most delusional.

the

a Journey to Mars NASA

It is worth to pay tribute to — the American space Agency NASA successfully landed four land Rover on the Red planet. And if anyone sets foot first on the surface of our cosmic neighbor, it is likely that it will be these guys. Fans of Elon musk may be the one who beat his chest and say that we have a real incarnation of Tony stark, to whom, as you know, there are no barriers, but NASA has something better: a set of successful space missions to Mars, which includes how to send the Mars orbital probes, and send landing modules with Autonomous Rovers. And if anybody will send the first astronauts to orbit Mars by 2030, it will be exactly what they are.

Next year, NASA will take a big step forward towards implementation of this goal and for the first time will launch the Space Launch System (SLS) is a super-heavy carrier rocket, which the Agency plans to one day send people to Mars. Currently, NASA is considering the question of whether this first launch of manned or not.

the

Martian water Park named Elon musk

For those who do not know, Elon Musk is a very rich canadian-American engineer, entrepreneur, inventor, investor and billionaire of African descent, which is often compared to the fictional character of a superhero comic book about Tony Stark (or "Iron man"). It is not surprising that these two men have one common quality: they are both capable of a speed of machine gun fire to generate new ambitious and innovative ideas. And sometimes these ideas are really very ambitious. While his company SpaceX — and met with a number of serious problems and failures, but nevertheless oklemalsya, — is planning in the coming years to send an unmanned lander to Mars (and the plan seems very feasible), Musk is dreaming of more ambitious and seems to be running ahead of the engine. In the next 10 years, he is going to start to carry out a manned mission to the Red planet.

And if that will seem like fiction, what do you think about the most important goal Mask — daily sending thousands of people to Mars on a rocket that hasn't even invented? Whether Musk to carry out this plan to 2060 years? If we consider that only in the last few months have been no less than incredible things to think about here – the most useless thing. Musk is confident in his plan so that even daring advertising campaign, openly saying that "people should be willing to die for this idea" will probably not be able to scare off potential candidates for the first flight.

the

Project "Mars 2117" against United Arab Emirates

At the world government summit, the Prime Minister of the UAE and Emir of Dubai Mohammed Ibn Rashid al Maktoum and Deputy Supreme commander of the Armed forces of the UAE Zayed al Nahyan announced the beginning of cooperation of the UAE with leading international organizations and research institutions to build the first Martian city project "Mars 2117".

The Program is designed for 100 years and involves the training of scientific personnel of the Emirates, creating the necessary specialized equipment, and delivery of all necessary equipment for construction on the Red planet. In addition, the project will include studies of rocket technology and energy sectors required for the implementation.

"Landing people on other planets was an old dream of mankind. Our goal is to UAE to lead the international effort to translate this dream into reality." — said Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

Very big words, especially when you consider that until now, the UAE could not boast of significant achievements in the field of Astronautics.

the

the Dream of Dennis Tito

For those who don't know, Dennis Tito is the world's first space tourist, who had been on Board the International space station. He circled the Earth 128 times, paying $ 20 million (obtained from about 150 thousand in one round). For the money spent he was not at all sorry but rather then even more lit up space.

It Turns out that American billionaire in 2013 he founded the nonprofit organization Inspiration Mars, whose task was to send expeditions around Mars (in the form of a couple of men and women) in 2018. Estimated cost of the project amounted to 1-2 billion, which is lower than NASA spends on the program, the Mars Science Laboratory ($2.5 billion).

To raise funds "from industry, individuals and others willing to make philanthropic donations" Tito has founded the Inspiration Mars Foundation Fund, during the first two years of work which he personally was going to invest $ 100 million. However, further support the project received. Official website Inspirationmars.org long gone. The future of the project remains unknown.

the

Richard Branson, or Musk single

It was Impossible not to include in this list such an outrageous character (I think many have a chance to see him in a dress and mermaid costume, or rather, "RUSAL"?), British entrepreneur, sir Richard Branson, is also planning its mission to Mars.

"Mars is a big place. When we we colonize Mars, Musk could take the Western part, and we will take the East," — whether in jest, whether seriously said Branson in last year's interview with Mashable, adding that he found a solution to the question of how Eastern and Western Mars "will divide the water."

Whether you agree with this Elon Musk – the history is silent.

The Last decade, Branson promises soon all the available space missions to be undertaken by his company Virgin Galactic. However, real progress in this direction is still there, except maybe a very costly incident. One of the largest, for example, occurred in 2014, when the spacecraft Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo test flight was made. The accident killed one pilot. The second suffered serious injuries.

the

DiCaprio was going to Mars

In October last year at a meeting in the White house, a 42-year-old actor said that signed agreement on mission to Mars, while not putting any details. Of course, this news drove many into shock, and especially fans of the Oscar-winning actor. Later, representatives DiCaprio said that on their Martian vacation, the actor said in jest, in the Wake of the fact that many people were talking about how it would be good to send him there.

the

Mars One

What is now known to be the best description for the "Mars One project" is «Scam». We briefly recall that a Dutch company of the same name promises to send humans to Mars by 2031, a key objective of the programme is the establishment of a human colony on the red planet. However, despite high ambitions and quite burning time, the Mars One project is "at an early stage of the concept". At least it says so on his official website.

In the Treasury of doubt you can add and the fact that the sincere desire of the founders of the Mars One project which is called to weld its participants. Buying associated with the project promotional items, participants increase their chance to become one of those taken away in a one-way trip. You want to die? A ticket paid?

Why such pessimism? Yes, the fact that the Mars One project was initially doomed to failure, at least according to a report by the Massachusetts Institute of technology from 2014. According to researchers, the first thing will face the Mars colonists, of course, if you outlive the minimum 8-month flight and the concomitant exposure to deadly doses of radiation, there will be famine. The colonists simply die from hunger.

You want to pay for dying alone in space? This project is definitely for you.

...