| Abstract: | Dramatic changes in the world political situation have encouraged collaboration between the main spacefaring, and other nations, in furthering progress in space endeavours. General strategic concepts must balance scientific/ technology/cost rationales while still preserving political and ambitious issues. This paper advocates optimizing the information from low-cost robotic missions to outer and inner planets when discussing ambitious robotic and manned flights to Mars. The author also articulates three additional points: first, the necessity of establishing the degree to which a human rather than a robotic presence is an absolute requirement for the most effective study of a planet; second, is the time ripe for a manned mission to Mars considering existing political/economic/technological constraints?; and third, that such a costly project is justified only if nations pool their resources and combine interests through effective international cooperation. |
