Private Companies Will Help NASA Get to Mars, Space Agency Chief Says
- 8 years ago
Work needs to be done by commercial companies to take up the responsibility of supporting science and human astronauts in low-Earth orbit and beyond, according to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.
Looking even further into the future, Bolden added, "As we focus on sending humans to Mars, it will likely be commercial companies and international partners who assume a lead role in taking humans back to the surface of the moon.
NASA is committed to maintaining its portion of the station through 2024 , but as Bolden said, the agency would like to dedicate its resources to more ambitious goals, like sending humans to Mars.
But, as was noted by commercial spaceflight leaders at another recent conference, a human presence in low-Earth orbit provides information and training for human journeys to more distant space locations, and many leaders advocate for maintaining a human presence in low-Earth orbit while pursuing human trips to the moon or Mars.
Bolden noted that commercial spaceflight companies will be filling a larger role in NASA's human spaceflight program than ever before, when private companies begin delivering NASA astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Crew Program.
Looking even further into the future, Bolden added, "As we focus on sending humans to Mars, it will likely be commercial companies and international partners who assume a lead role in taking humans back to the surface of the moon.
NASA is committed to maintaining its portion of the station through 2024 , but as Bolden said, the agency would like to dedicate its resources to more ambitious goals, like sending humans to Mars.
But, as was noted by commercial spaceflight leaders at another recent conference, a human presence in low-Earth orbit provides information and training for human journeys to more distant space locations, and many leaders advocate for maintaining a human presence in low-Earth orbit while pursuing human trips to the moon or Mars.
Bolden noted that commercial spaceflight companies will be filling a larger role in NASA's human spaceflight program than ever before, when private companies begin delivering NASA astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Crew Program.