CNA
The fact that there is a competition in space exploration gives hope that a manned mission to Mars can be achieved in our lifetime, Dr. Dimitris Stamatellos, Reader in Astrophysics at the University of Central Lancashire, UK, has told CNA.
In an interview with the Cyprus News Agency, Stamatellos spoke about the new space race, the preparations for the return to the Moon with the first woman on board, the benefits of space exploration, and the voyage to planet Mars, which could make humankind become a multi-planetary species.
Man`s first steps on the Moon in July 21, 1969, were a pivotal moment in space exploration and a source of inspiration for future generations of astronauts, astronomers, space physicists and rocket launchers.
“It was the catalyst for the evolution of telecommunications, meteorological and satellite navigation which are part of our daily lives today,โ Stamatellos said.
The last time a man walked on the moon was in 1972. Since then, a lot has changed, he said, adding that technology has made incredible leaps forward and pointing out that the computing power of a mobile phone today is 100,000 times greater than the one that made it possible for astronauts to step on the moon back then.
Regarding the return to the moon, he said that the issue gained a lot of attention recently and referred to the discovery of water, the interest of countries like China and the US, and to NASAโs announcement of the first astronauts of the ARTEMIS program, which includes manned missions to the moon and the first woman to step on the surface of our natural satellite.
In his interview with CNA Stamatellos talked about a new era of space race, which this time includes other important players, private companies like Space X, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin.
In addition, he said that it is becoming clear that space exploration can have many scientific and economic benefits and gave the examples of medicine and mining.
Experiments, he added, under conditions of microgravity can lead to discoveries in the field of pharmacology and microbiology that will help create drugs and vaccines to fight various diseases in conditions that cannot be reproduced on Earth.
Moreover, it could be possible to extract metals, titanium, aluminum and other precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum from asteroids and the Moon which could motivate other private companies to explore space once they realise that there are significant economic benefits. In addition, this could have a benefit in terms of the development of space technology, he said.
Asked when he believes humanity could make the bold step to Mars, he said that we may have the know-how to go to Mars, but unfortunately that is not enough.
We must, he continued, develop the know-how to survive once we are there on the red planet.
As he said, the distance of Mars from the Earth is quite long and the constant supply of food and other supplies with missions from the Earth is not sustainable in the long run.
Stamatellos said that experiments have been carried out on survival bubbles that simulate to some extent the conditions on Mars, but the ultimate experiment that will contribute to the development of the necessary technology on how to survive there, would be a permanent base on the Moon, which would initially have scientific objectives.
He added that astronomers have already proposed and designed a telescope on the Moon and that such a base would give us the necessary know-how and confidence, so that a future manned mission to Mars is a natural step and not a leap into the unknown.
“The fact that there is a competition in space exploration gives me hope that a manned mission to Mars can take place during our lifetime. And I will definitely be one of the first to apply to participate in this dream journey”, he concluded.
