Lockheed Martin Gears Up for Mars Colonization National Daily … – National Daily Press

The aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin announced that it plans to colonize the Red Planet in 12 years. The first objective of the mission would be to place a manned mission on the orbit of mars for three years.

Lockheed executives unveiled the ambitious plan during a meeting of the National Space Club Florida Committee last week. The company said that the astronauts orbiting the Red Planet would perform a series of scientific tasks and remote exploration of the planet.

The astronauts would control rovers and drones which will explore the surface and beam back data aboutthe most suitable places to set up a colony. The official outline showed that the concept is quite simple: the astronauts in the Martian orbital laboratory will conduct science from above, analyze the planets soil and rocks, and find the best site for humans to settle down.

The head of the Lockheed Martins civil space programs Tony Antonelli said the plan is doable by 2028. However, the company will need the U.S. governments help along with international cooperation.

Still, the U.S. is not the only nation that seeks a Mars mission. In the coming years, many states and space agencies plan to explore the Red Planet. Obama administration wished for the U.S. Mars mission to land the first man on Mars by 2030.

The U.S. Congress is about to approvea bill that granted NASA $19.1 billion in funding, with the Mars Mission being a top priority. Trump administration and congressional Republicans want a manned mission to Mars to be launched as late as 2033.

In the meantime, the United Arab States said they are eyeing the construction of the first Martian city. They didnt give a deadline, but they said the city would be Chicago-sized.

The Dutch have also said that they plan to build a similar structure on the Martian soil, while SpaceXs founder Elon Musk said his company was working on colonizing Mars as well.

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Lockheed Martin Gears Up for Mars Colonization National Daily ... - National Daily Press