NASA has long desired to send human explorers to Mars. Until recently, this was strictly a pipe-dream. Now, partly as a result of the Columbia accident, President Bush refocused American human space flight on eventually going to Mars. The International Space Station will provide data to support that goal, the Shuttle will be replaced with a new transportation system and the Moon will serve as a way-station or test-bed for eventually getting to Mars. In this study, campers - likely part of the first generation of martians - will develop a plan for the human exploration of Mars. They will establish a rationale for why send humans, considering science and the value of humans as explorers. Campers will design a mission, understand cost, orbits, life support, risks and their mitigation, and identify where on Mars to land the first humans. They will propose the crew composition: should we send scientists, doctors, engineers, technicians, poets, or teachers? Should the crew be international, men or women or both? They will develop pros and cons of terra-forming Mars and of setting up a permanent colony.
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