Will Discuss Humans Living, Working On Mars Within 25 Years At November 13 Press Conference

Humans are on the precipice of becoming an interplanetary species. We earthlings are on our way to becoming Martians. In fact, the future Martians are here on Earth now, training for Mars missions using new technological developments following a strict timeline that will get us there within 25 years.

That is the view of four presenters who will make their case at a National Press Club Headliners press conference at 10:00 a.m.on Tuesday, November 13. The four are directly responsible for creating and implementing elements of a mission to Mars and serving a new vision of mankind as a visitor – then resident – of the red planet.

Once limited to the imaginations of sci-fi enthusiasts, NASA now has mission-specific technology in development, and a hard deadline for humans landing on Mars following a series of robot landers that have mapped out the terrain and other features of what could soon be our new world – the latest is InSight, scheduled to land on Mars on November 26, and drill deeply into the Martian soil to deliver clues about the planet's core and interior structure.

Presenters will include:

• Astronaut Tom Jones, a former B-52 U.S. Air Force, space resource researcher, NASA space shuttle mission specialist and payload commander for four space shuttle flights, who has logged over 52 days (1,272 hours) in space, including 3 space walks totaling over 19 hours.
• James Garvin, chief scientist of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, who also served as chief scientist for Mars exploration from 2000 until 2004 and spearheaded the development of the scientific strategy that led NASA to select such missions as the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Phoenix polar lander, and the Mars Science Laboratory.
• Richard Davis, assistant director for science and exploration, and executive secretary of the International Mars Exploration Working Group - Planetary Science Division Science Mission Directorate for NASA, who co-leads a science mission directorate study to begin the process of identifying potential human landing sites on Mars.
• Finally, adding background about the human side of being an interplanetary species for the humans likely to be the first residents of Mars will be Janet Ivey, creator of a children's science series, Janet's Planet, and a member of the Board of Governors for the National Space Society.

The news conference will be held in the Bloomberg Room of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  The event is open to credentialed media and members of the National Press Club free of charge, however registration is required.

(Source: National Press Club news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.press.org