Delta IV Heavy rocket with the Orion spacecraft. (Photo : Reuters/Mike Brown)
The senate committee hearing on Feb. 24, Tuesday, focused on a recurring subject choosing between going to the moon or to Mars.
NASA has heard this question for years, but stil, the debate continues. United States President Barack Obama aims to focus on mission Mars over the moon for his reason being, "we've been there before."
However, there have been vocal criticisms over the decision knowing that his term is about to end, Washington Post reported. It is said that because of this reason, the funding or political will for the mission are not enough.
According to George Washington University's Space Policy Institute director Scott Pace, the Mars mission is a "flawed policy direction." And that they should choose to go to the moon since it is the next target for all potential international partners.
Pace also added that Russia, China, India, and Korea have already made huge advancements with lunar space activities; therefore, the US should "lead a multinational program to explore the moon" to regain prominence. Otherwise, there might be a "post-American space world," wherein manned and unmanned space activities are in existence without any American presence.
Also present before the same committee was Buzz Aldrin of the Apollo 11 mission, who emphasized that NASA should go with the Mars mission. His reasoning states that the US leadership should be to get one step ahead amongst international competitors and that it should inspire others to do what others cannot.
NASA has been on its "Journey to Mars" campaign. One successful pursuit was Orion, the unmanned space capsule that went farther than any other spacecrafts from the planet, NASA highlighted.
Yet, without the right amount of funding to support the endeavor, critics said that it is only just a public relations stunt. Apart from Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and some committee members, the rest are less supportive about the mission.
