Livingston_2000_1abstr

 

 

FROM EARTH TO MARS: A COOPERATIVE PLAN

 

David M. Livingston

Tiburon, CA

email: dlivings@davidlivingston.com

 

 

 

Figuring out how to pay for the mission is but one problem facing a manned flight to Mars. Who will pay and who will benefit from the mission is another problem. While Mars advocates push for a manned mission to Mars and even have plans for such a mission, the issue has not yet attracted the interest of either the public or private sector. Furthermore, there are issues facing our society that would discourage government spending on this project, especially since the availability of public funds is limited. At this time, the public is far more interested in terrestrial issues than the manned Mars mission. This paper examines these significant obstacles to a Mars mission and concludes with suggested guidelines for a successful partnership between the public and private sectors.