COST VS KNOWLEDGE VS RISK Space Missions

Moon First Then Mars 1 st the Moon then Mars - moon is closer - practice living, working and doing science on Moon - develop technology - identify and fix possible problems

Moon and Mars Moon 1/6 th earths gravity, Mars 40 % Moon has no atmosphere, Mars has a very thin atmosphere Both have extreme temperature changes between night and day and get very cold at night  Moon -240 C, Mars -120 C Both the Moon and Mars are thought to harbor water frozen in the ground

Regolith Moon and Mars dust Lunar dust: "It's almost like fragments of glass or coral--odd shapes that are very sharp and interlocking," Mars dust would be very similar This sharp dust would cause many problems to machinery and astronaunts

Costs NASA budget  15 billion per year  20 billion per year for Pentagon satellites and rockets Who pays this?  Taxpayers Martian Rovers  820 Million dollars for both

Costs (continued) Apollo Missions  One Apollo Mission cost 25 Billion in 1960  Approximately 100 Billion in today’s dollars Human Mars Mission/ Moon Mission estimated at about 500 Billion Dollars

Risks Apollo 11 – didn’t make the moon and almost lost the whole crew Challenger and Columbia space shuttles Only 50 % of missions to Mars reach Mars safely Hazard in Space and on Mars

Human Machine Can make independent judgements More costly missions More risk involved Doesn’t need food, drink, sleep or emotional support Cheaper Less risk involved More limited in what it can do on the surface of Mars Human vs Machine

Mars Curosity Landed on Mars Costs 2.5 Billion over 8 year project Created jobs, technology, and increases our knowledge of Mars ion_pages/msl/index.html