The human
exploration of Mars will be an enterprise that confirms the potential for humans to leave
their home planet and make their way outward into the cosmos. Though just a small
step on a cosmic scale, it will be a significant one for humans, because it will require
going away from Earth with very limited capability to return. Once committed to a journey
to Mars, astronauts will not be able to return until the alignment of the planets allows
their return. This is the most radical difference between this exploration and all
previous explorations. There is a very narrow window within which return is possible, and
the commitment to launch is a commitment to three years in space.
Mars is an intriguing and exciting planet, and there are many adventures and findings that await explorers. We must prepare for these before we go, providing the tools that the explorers will use, anticipating as much as possible the situations they will encounter and preparing them for the unexpected. For the first time in a space exploration mission, it will be up to the crew to solve their own emergency problems. At the distance of Mars from the Earth, it can be as much as 40 minutes from the time a message goes out from Earth to the time an answer is received back on Earth. The crews and their systems must be able to accomplish their objectives in a highly autonomous manner.
