Says Moon Phobos Could Play A Vital Role

The second man to walk on the moon says that 2040 would be a good target for launching a manned mission to Mars. That is contrary to the 2035 target date set by NASA, Buzz Aldrin's former employer.

Aldrin told Fox News that he would like to see the President make a commitment to a manned Mars mission in 2019, which would be the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing. "If you look two decades from there, you come up with about 2039, so I round up to 2040," Aldrin said.

He said that by that time, humans could have landed on Mars' moon Phobos, which would be a place to check out the habitation and other factors necessary for moving on the Mars.

Aldrin has envisioned a constant presence on Mars with rotating crews like those that currently serve aboard ISS, but the missions will necessarily be much longer. The travel time to Mars is about a six months ... each way. And because of the orbital paths of Earth and Mars, you can't just arrive, turn around, and come back. "All-in-all it's pretty close to a three-year mission," Aldrin said.

(Image from file)

FMI: http://buzzaldrin.com/space-vision/advocacy/cycling-pathways-to-occupy-mars