Nearly 50 years have passed since humans first landed on the moon. Should humans return to the moon after many years of absence, or go to Mars, which is even more unfamiliar?
At the 2017 Global Space Exploration Conference held in Beijing, Mars and the moon became the focus of attention. Officials, scientists, and engineers from space agencies from various countries discussed topics such as Mars exploration, lunar exploration, and manned deep space exploration.
“In manned space exploration, which destination do you most want to go to?” This was a question in the on-site survey conducted by the conference on delegates. The results showed that Mars is more popular than the moon.
Mars: Humanity’s Dream Land
Because Mars is the planet most similar to the Earth in the solar system, it is considered the first choice for human space immigrants.
The 87-year-old Aldrin, who has inspired countless people to devote themselves to space exploration and was the second person to land on the moon, gave a keynote speech at this conference, introducing how to use gravity to design out of the circular orbit between Earth and Mars. According to his vision, humans can land on Mars before 2039 and establish a permanent settlement on Mars.
Steve Eisenhardt, senior deputy manager of strategy and international affairs at the U.S. Space Foundation, said Aldrin spent nearly 30 years studying this method of reaching Mars. While not speaking for the U.S. government or NASA, he shares Aldrin's belief that Mars is indeed a good destination.
Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said that humans must bravely explore and challenge the future. The moon has witnessed the feats of human exploration of space in the 1960s and 1970s. The next step for mankind is to conquer Mars and other planets. This is the mission of astronauts. Although there is no plan for manned exploration of Mars yet, China has launched an unmanned Mars exploration project and will launch a Mars probe in 2020 and reach Mars in 2021.
Many participants also believed that the dream of humans landing on Mars is still too far away. The road to Mars hundreds of millions of kilometers away is winding and long. It is better to set a small goal first: return to the moon and put the moon on the moon. As a testing ground for going to Mars.
European Space Agency Director Jane Warner said: "Of course humans should go to Mars, but I don't think this will be possible within 10 years."
He said that now Things are very different from the days of the Apollo moon landings. If humans want to go to Mars, they cannot bring everything from Earth. They must use Martian resources to build some facilities. Sustainable facilities with different uses should be established on Mars. To achieve all this, the moon is the closest testing ground, where humans can develop the technologies needed to go to Mars and to deeper space.
The Moon: An important step on the road to Mars
The European Space Agency, which is keen on landing on the moon, has proposed a plan to build a "Moon Village" and invited partners around the world to join, including China.
Werner said that from a scientific perspective, the moon is very fascinating. It is a natural archive of the early history of the earth. The back of the moon shields the interference of the earth, so it is a good platform to look into the deep space of the universe. From a technical perspective, the moon is a testing ground for new methods and technologies, such as the development of 3D printing technology that can utilize local resources.
He said that the "Moon Village" can be used as a base for human exploration of the moon and a transfer station for the exploration of Mars. At the same time, he does not rule out business plans including mining and tourism. In the future journey to explore Mars, the "Moon Village" can also be regarded as an important step.
Tian Yulong, secretary-general of the China National Space Administration, revealed that China is exploring plans to cooperate with the European Space Agency to build a "lunar village." The construction of the "Moon Village" can be completed through 3D printing, that is, a cargo spacecraft is first used to transport the construction tools to the lunar surface, and then the construction of a lunar house is completed within a week using self-contained materials and lunar surface materials.
Ito Yasuyuki, deputy director of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, said that Japanese people have traditionally admired the moon. "Our generation has been greatly influenced by the Apollo project and has very clear memories of it." He said that although Japan is also discussing Mars, it currently prefers a step-by-step plan, so lunar exploration may be Japan's next step. One step goal.
Pascal Humphrey, chairman of the German Aerospace Center Committee, said that it is very difficult to send people to Mars. How can we raise so much money? "We should take it step by step. The moon is an important step on our way to Mars."
Chinese: It is expected to land on the moon in 2030
Wu Yan, general manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Sheng revealed at this conference that China has carried out research on the concept of manned moon landing.
Yang Liwei, deputy director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, also said at the meeting that China is conducting pre-research and preliminary preparations for manned moon landing. Although the project has not yet been approved, it should not take too long. In a recent interview with the media, he predicted that Chinese astronauts will land on the moon around 2030.