Initial exploratory journeys to Mars are likely in another 20 to 25 years for future human habitation of the Red Planet, according to V. Adimurthy, dean of research at the Institute of Space and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram.
Speaking on ‘Mars Orbiter Mission and Beyond: Inspirations and Intricacies’ at the 5 Symposium on Popular Science organised by Jadavpur University Alumni, Hyderabad chapter, here on Saturday, he said the quest for unravelling the mysteries of the universe was as old as human history.
“We are particularly interested in our neighbour, the Mars, because it is the most earth-like planet in our solar system, and it holds the secrets of our past and the possibilities of our future,” he added.
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He said in view of the similarities between earth and Mars, the Red Planet would be the first place that humans could colonise in the solar system outside earth. Prof. Adimurthy said the travel time from earth to Mars would take nearly 300 days. The mission planning, execution of various manoeuvres and controlling small deviations through mid-course corrections were the challenges one encounters during this long journey. The specific challenges in reaching Mars orbit relate to power, communication and propulsion systems.
Radiation in space was a major issue to contend with. Another important factor for human expeditions to Mars relates to absence of gravity during Mars transfer trajectory. “One of the major effects of prolonged weightlessness seen in long-duration space flights is the loss of bone mass”, he pointed out.