No moon, Mars without more money for space, panel says

No moon, Mars without more money for space, panel saysWashington  - Astronauts won't make it to the moon or Mars under the current budget for the US space programme, a panel reviewing manned spaceflight policies said Tuesday.

"The US human spaceflight programme appears to be on an unsustainable trajectory," the panel said in a summary of its findings. "It is perpetuating the perilous practice of pursuing goals that do not match allocated resources."

The panel of former astronauts and aerospace experts was formed by President Barack Obama with the task of examining all aspects of manned spaceflight, including the planned retirement of the US space shuttle fleet next year and existing plans to return humans to the moon by 2020.

A review of all options found that no future manned exploration - whether to the moon, Mars or elsewhere - could be accomplished under the current spending plan of about 9 billion dollars per year on exploration. At least 3 billion dollars more per year is needed to take astronauts out of low-Earth orbit, where they have been confined since the 1970s.

The report contains few specific recommendations, instead presenting options for phasing out the ageing space shuttles, what to do with the International Space Station (ISS), how to get the next generation spacecraft into orbit, how to get astronauts into low- Earth orbit and where humans should travel next in space.

The panel did note that the space-shuttle programme will likely need to be extended into 2011, in what it dubs a more realistic time frame to complete the remaining six scheduled flights to the ISS.

Current plans call for the retirement of the shuttle by the end of next year, leaving astronauts dependent on Russia's rocket-mounted Soyuz space capsules for transport to the ISS and the scrapping of the orbiting station itself in 2016.

The panel recommended an extension of the ISS mission to 2020. That would allow more time for astronauts to use the orbiting laboratory, with research only now getting underway in earnest after 11 years of construction on a concept first explored in the 1980s.

"It seems unwise to de-orbit the station after 25 years of assembly and only five years of operational life," the report said. "Not to extend its operation would significantly impair US ability to develop and lead future international spaceflight partnerships."

The panel raised the option of handing over some functions, such as supplying the station and delivering crew members, to commercial interests, allowing NASA to turn its attention to other tasks.

The focus of manned spaceflight should be on eventually getting humans to Mars, which the panel called "unquestionably the most scientifically interesting destination in the inner solar system."

But the review noted there were several ways of reaching that goal, offering up the option of going first to the moon, as the current baseline suggests, or instead exploring elsewhere in the solar system.

In all, the panel offered five basic options for human spaceflight - including the current, unsustainable plan and continued support of the ISS beyond the current timeline under the current budget guidance. The other options are presented as preferable with an additional 3 billion dollars per year, and include the current goals with more money, travelling to the moon while also extending the ISS, or first exploring elsewhere such as nearby asteroids or Martian moons.

The White House said it would review the options presented by the committee with senior advisors before making any decisions.

"The president has on numerous occasions confirmed his commitment to human space exploration, and the goal of ensuring that the nation is on a vigorous and sustainable path to achieving our boldest aspirations in space," spokesman Nicholas Shapiro said.

"Until the options are thoroughly considered, it would be premature for anyone to draw conclusions from the committee's work. The president will consult with senior advisors, including the NASA administrator, before making his final decisions." (dpa)