Follow
Famous SF writer Andy Weir puts NASA’s Mars colonization contest to challenge by saying the red planet cannot be populated sooner than 2050.
Andy Weir, a well-known American writer has made public on Thursday afternoon his disbelief in NASA’s ability to populate planet Mars. The space authority is going great lengths at present to discover new methods to make Mars’ colonization possible around the years 2030. The initial deadline was set to 2020, but recent changes have prolonged the term until 2030.
Given the recent delay, Andy Weir has quickly jumped into conclusions that NASA will not be able to send people to actually live on Mars sooner than 2050. These ideas were expressed in a recent Skype conference held at the George Washington University. The event was meant to promote Weir’s latest book “The Martian”, a novel about the first human colony populating the red planet.
The author stated during the conference that he has very little confidence in NASA’s colonization program. He believes the financial and human resources are too insufficient for NASA to actually manage to send a team of astronauts on Mars earlier than 2050.
Weir’s declaration comes to contradict the recent declaration of the NASA administrator Charles Bolden. He has announced this week that the aeronautics administration has enough resources to reach Mars in less than 20 years.
Moreover, the agency has further disclosed this week that the first test flight of the Orion spacecraft was completed in December 2014. Orion is the spaceship that NASA plans to use in order to send humans on Mars, when the time comes.
Although Weir’s statement is rather plausible, scientists claim he does not have sufficient evidence to support his arguments. At the opposite pole, lies NASA’s point of view, based on numerous scientific data, studies and researches.
Aeronautics experts at NASA did not pay too much attention to Weir’s declaration as the administration is currently raising awareness for their colonization plans.
The administration has recently announced a contest inviting people to make suggestions for the colonization program. Participants can win $5,000 if they come up with significant ideas NASA could use to help people adapt on Mars.
Proposals have to contain technological, feasible and economic ideas for the preservation of human life on the red planet.
The lay public is free to make as many suggestions as possible related to shelter construction ideas, food, air and water supply. Ideas encouraging humans’ interaction, communications and exercises are highly welcomed, as well.
Image Source: Paste Magazine
