Dennis Tito Aims To Launch A 501-day Round Trip To Mars In 2018
The world’s first space tourist and the American entrepreneur, Dennis Tito, has lately ventured on a very bold step. His Inspiration Mars Foundation announced plans to launch a spacecraft on a mission to fly past Mars without landing, in 2018. The mission would make use of a rare planetary alignment that would allow a speedy trajectory to Mars and back. The 2018 launch window represents an opportunity for a fast trip of only 501 days. The SpaceX Dragon capsule has yet to carry a crew as of early 2013; for Mars flight, the capsule would have to be modified to support two astronauts for the 501-day round trip. An inflatable habitation module could be docked to the front of Dragon for additional living space and for carrying more supplies. The crew of two will consist of a middle-aged married couple, preferably those, who are past reproductive age because of the radiation damage danger during the flight.
Via:space.com
