An odyssey for the turn of the millennia

Abstract

President Bush has called for a return to the Moon and manned expeditions to Mars, implementing a goal of U.S. national space policy to “expand human presence and activity beyond Earth orbit into the solar system”. These missions will involve Space Station Freedom and robotic spacecraft. They will require advances in technology and will result in significant advances in science. Opportunities for international cooperation are substantial, and the U.S. will seek an exploratory dialogue with other nations on the Space Exploration Initiative, the American term for the expeditions to the Moon and Mars. The strategy for the Moon/Mars initiative has been established. Initial reconnaissance will begin with utilization of robotic space craft, to be followed by emplacement of an outpost. Subsequent activities will consolidate the outpost into a permanent self-reliant settlement. Current efforts in the U.S.A. are expected to lead to the development of two or more significantly different reference mission architectures, while prioritizing the development and demonstration of applicable technologies. These will result from a Synthesis Group activity initiated by NASA in the spring of 1990 to review results from a special “Outreach Program” undertaken to secure additional ideas about how best to carry out the President's vision.