Statement of Mars Society Political Committee
on NASA's New Space Architecture

September 26, 2005

For further information about the Mars Society, visit our website at
http://www.marssociety.org

To the Moon and Mars

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has
taken an important step in the advancement of human
space exploration with the release of the Exploration
Systems Architecture Study (ESAS). The Mars
Society applauds this study as the first rational plan
for long-term human space exploration that the United
States has produced since the Apollo Program. We hope
this plan will mark the beginning of a new destination
driven era at NASA, that will finally return us to the

Moon and then on to Mars.

One of the most important components of this plan is
the proposed heavy-lift launch vehicle. A heavy lift
capacity is absolutely necessary to mount any serious
Moon/Mars plan. This capability will reduce the number
of required launches; thus simplifying the overall
mission and lowing costs.

Another key element of this plan is the use of In-Situ
Resource Utilization (ISRU). We hope that NASA will
maximize this capability, utilizing resources on the
Moon and Mars as quickly as possible following the
initial landings. Proper use of ISRU can greatly
reduce mission mass and thus help create a much more
efficient and economical program.

It is important, however, that ESAS remains flexible
in the years ahead to help it react to ever changing
circumstances. This is particularly important in
the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The rising
costs incurred from these storms have caused some
members of Congress to consider the possibility of
recouping some of this money by canceling the Vision
for Space Exploration or the Space Shuttle program.
If this unfortunate scenario should come to pass, it
is vital that this money should not be taken from the
Vision for Space Exploration, but from the Space
Shuttle program, which is already being phased out
over the next few years. While immediate cancellation
the Space Shuttle would mean a temporary gap in our
human space program (which we already have),
cancellation of the Vision for Space Exploration would
most likely mean the end of long-term human space
flight at NASA for the foreseeable future. In
addition, Space Shuttle cancellation could
save over $30 billion over the next five to six years.
These savings could be used to both help pay for
hurricane relief and to accelerate the development of
the vehicles to replace the Space Shuttle. In fact,
a portion of the funds made available would allow both
the Crew Exploration Vehicle and the Shuttle-derived
Heavy Lift Vehicle to be operational by 2010.

Even without this funding crisis, it would be
advantageous to cancel the Space Shuttle sooner and
begin development of the Heavy-Lift Vehicle. With the
correct configuration, the HLV can better support
the completion of the International Space Station,
satisfying our agreement with our international
partners. Additionally, some of the cost saving could
be used to modify already constructed ISS hardware
to launch on an HLV. Although this would delay
near-term construction flights until the HLV was
developed, the station would potentially be completed
in the same time frame while allowing more components
to be delivered on fewer flights. This move would
also enable us to land humans on the Moon and Mars
several years earlier than is now planned.

After nearly half a century, the United States will
finally continue the voyage that began with Neil
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's footsteps in 1969. If, as
a nation, we embrace these goals and don't waver, we
will help begin a process that will make all previous
exploration endeavors pale by comparison - and in so
doing, honor and validate the contributions and
sacrifices of all those who have worked on the
space program for the last fifty years. This will help
to guarantee our technological leadership and inspire
our younger generations, just as Apollo did.

The Exploration Systems Architecture Study is a good
beginning to make the Vision a reality.

For further information about the Mars Society, visit our website at
http://www.marssociety.org