Bent Science: NASA and Future Human Exploration of the Solar System

NASA scientist Bryan Palaszewski discusses NASA’s past and current plans to send humans to the planet Mars. Other ambitious plans from corporate and international partners will be described. The objectives of the program, mission overview, Earth-Mars transit space propulsion systems (chemical propulsion and nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion), space environment concerns, how people would live on the Martian surface, and potential colonization plans will be covered. The availability of water in the solar system will be discussed. Other future human exploration of the solar system will also be addressed.