Mars Rising

Dr. James Garvin, lead scientist for Mars and Lunar Exploration at NASA, and Dr. Paul Delaney, Professor Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, set the stage outlining the extraordinary challenges and obstacles faced by the international space community in sending a manned mission to Mars - and bringing it back.

The spacecraft that will take a crew to Mars will be assembled - in space. Up to ten rockets will be required to carry equipment and the astronauts to the mothership. The 56-million-kilometer journey to and from the Red Planet could take up to three years. Will the fuel be thermo-nuclear or super-heated charged particles? Engineers must get it right the first time or the astronauts will die.

In space zero gravity depletes muscle and bone mass, cosmic radiation can cause brain damage and cancer. For six astronauts in a confined and limited environment for up to three years - a voyage to Mars could be punishing even deadly for the human body. How will we protect it? This is the issue at hand for world renowned Doctors & scientists to ensure the astronauts remain alive.

The human spirit itself may be the Achilles heel of the Mars Mission. Mental breakdown, sexual tension, near-suicide, and mutiny have already taken place on shorter space missions. The crew knows there is a 50% failure rate in Mars landings. A team is only as strong as it's weakest link & in space that weak link can have deadly results.

The last six minutes of the flight to Mars is the most terrifying. Only an inflatable aeroshell will protect the capsule as it enters Mars atmosphere at a temperature of 4,000C and a speed of 16,000 km/hr. After the capsule's speed has been slowed, the astronauts have 90 seconds to pinpoint a safe place to land.

Is there life on Mars? Scientists are combing the most barren places on Earth to search out bacteria, amino acids or carbonates that might offer clues. What if Mars has its own independently created lifeforms that are deadly to humans? Researchers on the Artic's frigid Devon Island, British Columbia's Pavilion Lake, Chile's Atacama Desert and caves in New Mexico offer compelling chronicles.