Labels: text | screenshot OCR: COLONIZATION TERRAFORMING In 1961, when President John Kennedy announced that A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE the US planned to land a man on the Moon within the decade, Braun and his NASA co-workers immediately thought Mars would be the next target. Although he had no official backing. Braun developed a second Mars project. This time he planned for two spacecraft, assembled in orbit, and a total crew of twelve astronauts. Propulsion would be provided by hydrogen fueled nuclear accelerators (Project NERVA) ejecting hydrogen at a speed of 10 kilometers per second, which reduced fuel needs. According to Braun's mission plan, the two spacecraft would orbit around Mars. Six of the crew members would then land for an 80-day stay on the Red Planet, before returning to the orbiters. The trip back to Earth would take them past Venus. The entire mission would last about 21 months. But, in 1969, the Space Task Force created by President Richard Nixon ruled the program too ambitious and costly. Braun's project was tabled. Manned exploration of Mars would have to wait until the 21st century. However, Braun did not give up. He continued his research outside NASA. MARS BETAT
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