Why would a person go to Mars?

We have already written so much about Mars and its conquest, but never mentioned why all this is necessary. After all, the truth: well, there is the red planet, and that. It is sure to move with things? It turned out - necessarily.

Space Launch System (Space Launch System, or SLS) - the most powerful rocket in the world. During his first voyage SLS show three times more thrust than a typical space shuttle. Already this power allows us to send a robot or a telescope so far into space than ever before. But, unfortunately, it will not be enough to bring a man to Mars.

To travel to the red planet has become a reality, we need to exceed the existing SLS power of several tens of times. We need to take the coolest rocket in the world and make it even cooler.

On this hard working engineers from the Center for Marshall Space Flight. They are preparing the first update for the SLS, which is a more powerful upper stage. Further according to the plan - parts and accessories space launch systems are incredibly powerful accelerators. Before you can install them on the SLS, the researchers are convinced - it is better and more modern nothing you can think of.

Mars is often called the immediate goal in human space exploration. However it is necessary to clarify - this is not the first and not the last step for us. Once we are able to reach Mars, the solar system will open its doors to us. Therefore, the development of SLS is important not as an end in itself. Rather, it is a basis for the first steps in space. If you manage to create a sufficiently powerful machine, which is able to deliver a man on the red planet, and humanity will be able to dream of a more ambitious and distant missions.

The launch is capable to carry great weight in space, much more than what we can carry missiles today - is the path to robotic missions to Mars. It will be possible to deploy large-scale study there and even try to bring a sample of Martian soil to Earth. And it is very helpful to understand what a person needs to fit and life on the red planet.

High power SLS will also help speed up the robots and devices that explore the solar system. Perhaps it will lead to a revolution in the understanding of the concept of a scientific expedition itself. On the other hand, we can more quickly and more study those of the moon and the planets, which are very likely to have a life.

Discover new secrets of the universe would have helped more powerful optics. This is easy to create - but it is difficult to launch into space. Giant telescope could go into interplanetary space and system space launches. But you need to have researchers turned to increase the power of SLS at least five times.

All of these features will become closer to happen when the first launch SLS. He will show what we can really expect, and how close to us will be Mars. It is this red planet will be the first step in the conquest of the solar system man.

Based on materials NASA.