Manned Mars Flyby in 2018?

[bobbymike]

While I won't be holding my breath I think this is fantastic if only for the effort. The "West" to use the popular moniker will increasingly see demographic issues balloon social spending and squeeze defense/space spending. I believe men of courage and vision will privately 'go where no man has gone before' and maybe ignite mankind's imagination again.

http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/21/17038750-how-a-millionaire-spaceflier-intends-to-send-astronauts-past-mars-in-2018?lite

Yes I am an optimist

 

[shedofdread]

Irrespective of whether this is 'do-able' or not, isn't it wonderful to read of people with ambition? I'm getting rather sick of the negativity that seems to haunt so much of our world.

Thanks for the link - made me smile.

 

[Archibald]

Back in 1996 Bob Zubrin had a low-cost Mars flyby mission design dubbed Athena. Although I would strongly suggest to target Sun-Mars L1 instead (with some big robotic payload on the surface, teleoperated from SML-1).


http://pdf.aiaa.org/getfile.cfm?urlX=85%26%5D0%3BU%2BDN%26S7R%20CMU%24CBQ%3A%2B64K8%26%5FOGJ%0A&urla=%25%2ARH%27%21P%2C%20%0A&urlb=%21%2A%20%20%20%0A&urlc=%21%2A0%20%20%0A&urle=%27%2B%22D%22%23PJCU0%20%20%0A