NASA Weighs Manned Mission to Martian Moon

NASA is studying an astronaut mission to Phobos, a moon of Mars, as a way to achieve a “quicker first” in space, possibly in as little as five to seven years, according to space agency officials.

The mission might require only about half as much fuel and equipment as a landing on Mars because it would avoid passing in and out of the planet’s gravitational pull.

The Phobos mission would carry six astronauts and could include a manned lunar base or lunar astronomical observatory, a manned “sprint” mission to Mars’ surface, studies of the solar system by robot, or some combination, according to Mark Craig, manager of the Johnson Space Center’s lunar and Mars exploration office.

It would take a serious commitment of resources, Craig said, but the Phobos mission could be accomplished in as little as five to seven years. Phobos is “just a big rock. You’d kind of dock with it,” he said in an interview after discussing the mission at a symposium on lunar bases in Houston.

Captured Asteroid

The potato-shaped moon is believed to be an asteroid captured by Mars’ gravitational pull and is thought to have a substantial amount of water. Scientists for years have suggested the possibility of extracting water from Phobos and converting it into highly efficient propellants for the return trip.

The mission might also speed a partnership between humans and robots in space exploration, he said. Astronauts on Phobos might send robot probes to the surface of Mars to explore and collect samples, without the complex robotics and time delay involved in unmanned planetary probes.

NASA--the National Aeronautics and Space Administration--is also studying an idea to build a Mars outpost from a lunar outpost and also develop Phobos as a kind of gas station for space operations.