The Hindu Business Line : Mission Mars: US project to embark on pilot studies

PHOENIX, the US mission project to explore Mars, will embark on pilot studies on the Martian poles, which have extreme climatic conditions. While such a mission will provide insights into the planet, it will also help send manned spacecrafts later.

A team of researchers on the Mars Mission from the National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA) is in India meeting people and enthusing them on this project, which could eventually lead to man landing on the planet by 2030.

Dr Amitabha Ghosh, Dr James Rice and Dr Michel Wyatt, spoke about this project, which recently received fresh impetus following the US President George Bush's support in the form of additional funds.

Dr Ghosh said, while one can land on the moon in three to four days, it takes about six months to reach Mars, when it is nearest from the Earth.

And it takes two years to orbit the Sun. This means that if someone on such a mission were to need some help, it would take at least six months.

The researchers said the success of two Rover missions is case in point to illustrate future missions. The three researchers are touring India and meeting people to educate them about the thrills of science. In fact, they are researching some hostile terrains and conditions on earth to draw parallels.

Dr Ghosh believes there is great scope for collaborative research in these areas. We could partner ISRO in various projects, he said. The two critical components — moon minerology mapping and altimeter — of the Chandrayan project will be from NASA. So, what is the timeframe for mission Mars? It will be our endeavour to achieve this by 2030, said Dr Ghosh.

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