Mars space mission | Bangkok Post: learning

About space exploration

US multimillionaire plans to send spaceship to Mars & back by 2018. Mission will take 501 days & cost $1 to $2 billion dollars.

The Inspiration Mars Foundation's spacecraft for a 2018 mission to Mars by a two-person crew.

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First-ever space tourist plans Mars mission

By Jean-Louis Santini (AFP)

The world's first space tourist, US multimillionaire Dennis Tito, pictured after his landing May 6, 2001 (AFP/File, Alexander Nemenov)

WASHINGTON — The world's first space tourist, US multimillionaire Dennis Tito, unveiled plans to send a manned mission to Mars and back, targeting a launch date less than five years away.

The two space travelers wouldn't land on the Red Planet -- or even enter its orbit -- just fly through the vicinity and back, a trajectory Tito said would take 501 days, thanks to a rare planetary alignment.

The US space agency has aimed for the 2030s in its vague projections for a manned mission to Mars, and is focusing in the shorter term on sending robots, like the Curiosity rover that landed with much fanfare last summer.

Tito's non-profit Inspiration Mars, by contrast, is starting essentially from scratch, with neither a vehicle nor a clear source of funding.

Still, the mission is "achievable," insisted Taber MacCallum, the foundation's chief technology officer and the head of Paragon Space Development Corporation.

Experts have reviewed the risks, rewards and aggressive schedule, finding that existing technologies and systems only need to be properly integrated, tested and prepared for flight.

By foregoing a landing, the mission lessens the risks and simplifies the maneuvering required.

Such a mission would likely cost between $1 billion and $2 billion, according to Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars Society, a group that campaigns for the exploration and settlement of the planet.

Inspiration Mars said it is not looking to NASA for the money, but will instead raise funds through "private, charitable donations."

In a statement, the foundation said it would act as the mission's "primary contractor," gathering technology, expertise and skills from a variety of companies and individuals, including Paragon and Applied Defense Solutions.

"Human exploration of space is a critical catalyst for our future growth and prosperity," said Tito, 72. 

This is 'A Mission for America' that will generate knowledge, experience and momentum for the next great era of space exploration.

NASA welcomed the Tito's announcement, saying the program is "a testament to the audacity of America's commercial aerospace industry and the adventurous spirit of America's citizen-explorers," and that it would continue talks on possible a collaboration with Inspiration Mars.

But space expert John Logsdon was less enthusiastic, saying the proposed mission was "not impossible, but implausible."

Logsdon, a former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, highlighted major challenges for financing and the technical execution, as well as the high risk for the crew.

"Once they start on a trip, they cannot come back... or turn around," he said.

In 2001, Tito was the first non-astronaut to fly into space, when he bought a seat on a Russian Soyuz mission for a week-long stay at the International Space Station. 

Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved.

(Source: Bangkok Post, First-ever space tourist plans Mars mission, By Jean-Louis Santini (AFP)) 


Space Exploration Vocabulary

space - outside of the planet earth and its atmosphere  บริเวณนอกโลกซึ่งมีดาวดวงอื่นอยู่ 
outer space - Same as "space"

exploration  - looking around a place searching for things การสำรวจ,  การค้นหา
space exploration

Mars - ดาวอังคาร (See Wikipedia)

Inspiration Mars Foundation - the organization founded by Dennis Tito that plans a manned mission to fly by Mars in 2018 (See Wikipedia & Space.com)
Dennis Tito - US engineer & wealthy businessman who also became the first space tourist (See Wikipedia)

planet - a very large round object that moves around the sun or another star ดาวเคราะห์
the Red Planet - Same as "Mars"

Curiosity rover - a car-sized robot used to explore Mars on the ground (See Wikipedia)

NASA - the government agency that manages space missions such as the shuttle program or space station (See Wikipedia)
US space agency - Same as "NASA"

spaceship - a vehicle that can travel into space
spacecraft - Same as "spaceship"
rocket -  จรวด, เครื่องยนต์จรวด

space travel
fly into space

space tourism - when people pay to travel into space as a tourist (See Wikipedia)
space tourist

mission - travelling to another place to accomplish an important task
military mission

space mission
Mars mission

man - when there is a person operating a machine or riding in a vehicle or spaceship  
manned mission to Mars - when a spaceship travels to Mars with people in it (See Wikipedia)
First-ever space tourist plans Mars mission

unmanned mission - when the vehicle or spaceship does not have a person in it
unmanned mission to Mars

unveiled - announced something officially that was previously a secret เปิดเผย
unveiled plans - announced new plans

launch - to send a rocket into space
launch date - the day of sending a rocket into outer space
launch date less than five years away

targeting - aiming for something (such as a goal to achieve in the future) เล็งไปที่
targeting a launch date less than five years away.

The world's first space tourist, US multimillionaire Dennis Tito, unveiled plans to send a manned mission to Mars and back, targeting a launch date less than five years away.

land - when an airplane or spaceship touches ground after a flight
land on a Planet
land on the Red Planet

orbit  - วิถีโคจร, วงโคจร
orbit of a planet 
enter the orbit of a planet

back - returning (from the place you went to)
fly there and back

vicinity - an area near a particular place บริเวณใกล้เคียง
fly through the vicinity and back

trajectory - the course that events follow over time (for example, the trajectory of her career)
a trajectory Tito said would take 501 days, thanks to a rare planetary alignment.

rare - not happening very often หาได้ยาก uncommon, unusual ซึ่งหายาก เกิดขึ้นได้ยาก
a rare planetary alignment

The two space travelers wouldn't land on the Red Planet -- or even enter its orbit -- just fly through the vicinity and back, a trajectory Tito said would take 501 days, thanks to a rare planetary alignment.

vague - not complete, accurate or fully formed อย่างไม่ชัดเจน
projections - what is expected to happen in the future

vague projections for a manned mission to Mars

fanfare - a loud short piece of music played, usually on a trumpet and to introduce the arrival of someone important การป่าวประกาศ
the Curiosity rover landed with much fanfare last summer

focusing in the shorter term on sending robots, like the Curiosity rover

The US space agency has aimed for the 2030s in its vague projections for a manned mission to Mars, and is focusing in the shorter term on sending robots, like the Curiosity rover that landed with much fanfare last summer.

profit - money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร
non-profit - when an organization does not try to make a profit (like businesses try to make)

contrast - a noticeable difference ความแตกต่าง
by contrast ...  - there is a difference between these two things when you compare them....

starting from scratch - starting with nothing (so you have to do and make everything for the first time)

essentially - for the most part ที่สำคัญที่สุด
starting essentially from scratch

vehicle - a machine that you travel in or on, especially one with an engine that travels on roads, e.g., a car, bus, van, truck, etc. ยานพาหนะ

clear - easy to see and understand
source - the place or person something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something ต้นกำเนิด, แหล่งกำเนิด

funding - the money you get to support a project การให้เงินสนับสนุน
a clear source of funding.

Tito's non-profit Inspiration Mars, by contrast, is starting essentially from scratch, with neither a vehicle nor a clear source of funding.

insisted - say firmly that something must happen or is true, and will not change mind
the mission is achievable insisted the chief technology officer

Still, the mission is "achievable," insisted Taber MacCallum, the foundation's chief technology officer and the head of Paragon Space Development Corporation.

aggressive - done with great energy and intensity; forceful, determined, and eager to succeed ซึ่งมีความมั่นใจสูง ก้าวร้าว
aggressive schedule

properly - done in the right and correct way
integrated - combining things of different types in one effective system ที่รวมเข้าด้วยกัน
tested - put in a situations to check and see if they work ถูกทดสอบ

existing technologies and systems only need to be properly integrated, tested and prepared for flight

experts - people who know a lot about some subject
review - look over the details of something closely to check for problems
Experts have reviewed the risks, rewards and aggressive schedule

Experts have reviewed the risks, rewards and aggressive schedule, finding that existing technologies and systems only need to be properly integrated, tested and prepared for flight

foregoing - choosing not to do something (that you want to do)
foregoing a landing

maneuvering 
the maneuvering required

simplifies
simplifies the maneuvering required

By foregoing a landing, the mission lessens the risks and simplifies the maneuvering required.

campaigns - a long series of events staged to achieve a goal or to promote something (for example, an "anti-smoking campaign")

exploration - when you search and find out about something การสำรวจ, การค้นหา
settlement - a place where people come to live ชุมชน
campaigns for the exploration and settlement of the planet

Such a mission would likely cost between $1 billion and $2 billion, according to Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars Society, a group that campaigns for the exploration and settlement of the planet.

funds - money needed or available to spend on something เงินทุน
charitable - giving money to the poor and disadvantaged

donations - money given by people to help some project or organisation financially
Inspiration Mars said it is not looking to NASA for the money, but will instead raise funds through "private, charitable donations.

foundation - an organisation that provides money for things such as medical research or for a charity มูลนิธิ

primary - first and most important
contractor - a person or company whose job is to do work for another person, organisation, company, etc. ผู้รับเหมา

primary contractor - the most important contractor
act as the mission's primary contractor

gathering - a party or a meeting when many people come together as a group การรวมตัว, การประชุม
expertise - special skills or knowledge from study or practical experience ความถนัด ทักษะความรู้, ความคิดเห็นของผู้เชี่ยวชาญ
skills - a type of work or task requiring special training and knowledge ทักษะ ความสามารถเฉพาะทาง
gathering technology, expertise and skills

variety - many different types of things or people ความหลากหลาย
individuals - persons บุคคล
a variety of companies and individuals

In a statement, the foundation said it would act as the mission's "primary contractor," gathering technology, expertise and skills from a variety of companies and individuals, including Paragon and Applied Defense Solutions.

critical - extremely important because a future situation will be affected by it สำคัญยิ่ง
catalyst - something that starts a change happening (a chemical that starts a chemical reaction)
critical catalyst - an important thing that starts change happening

prosperity - the situation of being successful and having a lot of money ความมั่งคั่ง ความเจริญรุ่งเรือง
future growth and prosperity

Human exploration of space is a critical catalyst for our future growth and prosperity

momentum - forward motion (that cannot be stopped or is difficult to stop)

generate - to produce ก่อให้เกิด  create สร้าง กระตุ้นให้เิกิด
generate knowledge, experience and momentum

This is 'A Mission for America' that will generate knowledge, experience and momentum for the next great era of space exploration.

aerospace - the science and business of building airplanes and spacecraft
aerospace industry

commercial - for business purposes
commercial aerospace industry

audacity - the confidence to do what you something (even when people say you can't do it)
the audacity of America's commercial aerospace industry

testament - proof ข้อพิสูจน์ชัดแจ้ง
a testament to the audacity of America's commercial aerospace industry

adventurous - willing to try new or difficult things, or exciting an often dangerous ชอบผจญภัย
adventurous spirit

citizen - someone who has the right to live permanently in a particular country พลเมือง  (See Wikipedia)
citizen-explorers

talks - negotiations, formal discussions of problems between different sides in a conflict in order to solve the problem
collaboration - when people work together to achieve a goal
talks on collaboration 

announcement - information given to public ประกาศ

NASA welcomed the Tito's announcement, saying the program is "a testament to the audacity of America's commercial aerospace industry and the adventurous spirit of America's citizen-explorers," and that it would continue talks on possible a collaboration with Inspiration Mars.

enthusiastic - showing a feeling of energetic interest in a particular subject or activity and an eagerness to be involved in it  อย่า่งสนใจ กระตือรือร้น
he was less enthusiastic

proposed - suggested, presented as a possible project
the proposed mission

implausible - difficult to accept as true or possible
But space expert John Logsdon was less enthusiastic, saying the proposed mission was "not impossible, but implausible."

highlighted - stressed; made something more noticeable ที่เน้นย้ำ
highlighted major challenges

challenges - difficult tasks that require great effort
major challenges - big challenges

financing - getting the money needed to do a project or start and run a business

technical - requiring special detailed knowledge (example: computers, electronics, manufacturing); involving materials, processes, and machines to do specialised work เฉพาะทาง

execution - doing a project เริ่มดำเนินโครงการ
technical execution

risk - danger, how likely or possible it is for a bad event that causes harm and damage ความเสี่ยง
high risk

crew - the people who work on a ship, aircraft, etc. ลูกเรือ
the high risk for the crew

Logsdon, a former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, highlighted major challenges for financing and the technical execution, as well as the high risk for the crew.

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