A new directive from Trump’s White House was given to NASA – to land the first humans on Mars, member Alexandra Witze writes. This, however, has come at a tumultuous time for the agency as the federal government has proposed to cancel many of the space agency’s other missions and functions. The main issue is a budget shortfall for NASA. An endeavor to Mars costs no short amount of money and with the agency’s budget being slashed by billions, questions arise on whether it’s even affordable to send people to Mars. The red planet itself is also a tough environment. Mars is farther away from the moon and has hazards ranging from dust storms to toxic soil. All of which pose significant technological hurdles to solve before people arrive on the surface. Read on with Sarah Trent’s piece to discover more about the challenges ahead of this audacious plan.
Photo: ESA & MPS for OSIRIS Team via Wikimedia Commons
