Believes Existing Technology Is Not Up To The Task

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is skeptical about a manned mission to Mars being mounted by NASA, SpaceX or Blue Origin, the three entities who have publicly touted their efforts to do so.

Speaking to Business Insider about this new online course on space exploration, Hadfield said that he does not think that any of the rockets currently in development will be taking humans to Mars. "I don't think those are a practical way to send people to Mars because they're dangerous and it takes too long," Hadfield said in the interview. He said the only way humans would travel to Mars on rockets using existing propulsion systems would be if "we truly have to."

He said that the spacecraft under development could certainly make it to Mars, but he said explosions, radiation, starvation and other issues would be a constant threat to such a mission. "The majority of the astronauts ... would die" because "the technology is still quite primitive." He likened it to crossing a giant ocean in a canoe.

While Hadfield doesn't have the answers, he did say note recent developments in ion propulsion and NASA's renewed interest in nuclear reactors as engines.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report