How close are we to setting up a colony on Mars? Find out in the third blog post of an ongoing series reviewing the book “Making Space Happen: Private Space Ventures and the Visionaries Behind Them” (2002), and looking at the achievements in the private space sector that have happened in the subsequent 11 years.

1. Onwards and Upwards
Nicholas Kellett's personal blog about space exploration, scuba diving, and travel
“Making Space Happen”:
Journey To Mars
http://blog.nicholaskellett.com/2014/01/27/making-space-happenjourney-to-mars/
http://blog.nicholaskellett.com

2. Why Mars?
 “Its unexplored surface may hold unimagined riches
and resources for future humanity, as well as
answers to some of the deepest philosophical
questions” – Robert Zubrin, “The Case for Mars”
book (1996)
 Mars may “provide an engine
of progress for all humanity for
generations to come” if we settle
there

3. Mars Direct
 In 1989 NASA proposed $450 B USD Mars exploratory
mission in infamous “90-Day Report”
 Dr. Robert Zubrin called this “The Death Star” and the
technology and industrial facilities that would have been
required to make the mission happen “The Parallel Universe”.
 As a response to the NASA plan, he helped create a mission
proposal called “Mars Direct”:
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In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) = live off the land on Mars
Martian colony would make its own oxygen, water, and hydrogen fuel
Ships would be sent to Mars before first colonists arrived with supplies,
ensuring that they had everything they need before their arrival.
Zubrin estimated cost of his Mars Direct plan at $30 B in 1996 dollars.

4. Red Planet on Earth
 Dr. Robert Zubrin helped found Mars Society
 Largest Mars advocacy group in the world
 Mars Society has setup experimental bases on Earth,
to represent colonization activities on Mars.
 Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) is a
unique Mars exploration analog research facility
established in 2000, and located on Devon Island in
Nunavut, Canada
 Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah
conducts Mock Mars Mission

5. Mars-500
 Mars-500 mission was multi-year experiment conducted
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between 2007 and 2011 by Russia, the European Space
Agency and China
Experiment to see how volunteers in closed environment
could adapt, socialize, and endure, while performing
sample mission tasks that would simulate manned
spaceflight to Mars
Thousands of people volunteered as crew
The chosen members completed the mission
Some had physical or emotional challenges on the
longest mission
Experiment results are still being studied

6. Mars One
 In 2024, Mars One plans to launch four picked astronauts in a
Mars-bound spaceflight to become the first residents on Mars
 Colony will eventually include 20 other astronauts.
 First crew’s journey will be documented on reality television
 Mars One hopes to raise funding in a variety of ways:
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Exclusive partnerships
Sponsorships
Sales of broadcasting rights
Involvement with high net worth individuals
Revenues from Intellectual Property
Crowdfunding
 Concerns about its economic viability and dangers
 Time will tell if this bold mission succeeds

7. Mars One
 In 2024, Mars One plans to launch four picked astronauts in a
Mars-bound spaceflight to become the first residents on Mars
 Colony will eventually include 20 other astronauts.
 First crew’s journey will be documented on reality television
 Mars One hopes to raise funding in a variety of ways:






Exclusive partnerships
Sponsorships
Sales of broadcasting rights
Involvement with high net worth individuals
Revenues from Intellectual Property
Crowdfunding
 Concerns about its economic viability and dangers
 Time will tell if this bold mission succeeds

8. A Real-Life Tony Stark
 “I want to go to Mars.” – Elon Musk, founder of
PayPal, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX
 Has a rocket company, SpaceX, that launches to
International Space Station
 Wants to create a colony of 80,000 people on Mars.
“The key thing for me is to develop the technology to
transport large numbers of people and cargo to
Mars. That’s the ultimate awesome thing.”
 Thinks key point to get Mars colonization going is to
reduce the cost to about $500,000 per colonist

9. Is Mars “Happening”?
 Read the whole post on my blog, Onwards and
Upwards, to find out and add your thoughts!
 http://blog.nicholaskellett.com/2014/01/27/making
-space-happen-journey-to-mars/

10. Get In Touch
 I’d love to connect with you on
 Twitter: @NickKellett
 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaskellett
 Onwards and Upwards is my main blog at
http://blog.nicholaskellett.com
 Subscribe to my blog:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/nicholaskellett/xFoR
 I also have a Tumblr blog at
http://nickkellett.tumblr.com