Russia and Europe Plan a Manned Mission to Mars

Since the Obama administration has cancelled the Constellation Program that was originally supposed to replace the now defunct Space Shuttle Program, America has no means to launch manned space flights. Instead nasa has had to sign a $335 million contract with Russia to buy six seats on its Soyuz spacecraft. Both Russia and the European Union are taking advantage of this situation by accelerating their own space programs in an attempt to overtake the United States.

The European Space Agency (esa) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) are now planning to work together to carry out the first manned flight to Mars, according to comments made on August 17 by esa head Jean-Jacques Dordain. No official time line was given, but Russia is already coordinating closely with the European Space Agency in carrying out the Mars-500 experiment, which simulates a manned flight to Mars at a facility located in Moscow.

The Russians are also aiding the European Space Agency with its new Galileo Global Positioning System. The first two satellites of the Galileo project are scheduled for launch on October 20 at Europe’s space base in French Guiana. The satellites will be deployed in a Russian-built Soyuz-ST launch vehicle. Once the Galileo System is fully in place, the European Union will be able to operate independent of both the American gps and the Russian glonass.

By allowing a Russo-European consortium to overtake nasa in the race for Mars, America has endangered its own national security. In the words of former Nazi rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, “I am convinced that he who controls the open space around us is in a position to rule the Earth.”