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Projects

Aim for Mars

More On This Project

• The Garriott-Griffin Report: "Extending Human Presence into the Solar System" [PDF]
• Stepping into the Future: A Workshop in Memory of the Columbia Seven
• International Lunar Way Station: A Recommendation by The Planetary Society
• The Russian Report: "Concepts for Human Space Missions to Mars" [PDF]
• The Huntress Report: "The Next Steps in Exploring Deep Space" [PDF]

Explore More

• Learn more about Mars

In the summer of 2004 The Planetary Society launched Aim for Mars, a campaign to encourage and support a human mission to Mars. Aim for Mars included a letter-writing campaign, Congressional testimonies by Society officers, and groundbreaking studies demonstrating how a Mars mission can be accomplished within a realistic budget. Read here about The Planetary Society's multi-faceted campaign to send humans to the Red Planet.

The Planetary Society is going all-out to turn the Moon to Mars Vision into a reality!

Not satisfied with waiting in the wings for NASA and Congress to decide the future of space exploration, The Planetary Society has taken the initiative. In addition to our active grassroots campaign calling for human exploration beyond Earth orbit, we have also commissioned our own cutting-edge studies on how to transport humans to the Moon and Mars.

We gathered an outstanding team of experts, led by astronaut Owen K. Garriott and space exploration veteran Michael Griffin. We asked them to study the best ways to proceed in developing the next generation of vehicles that will carry humans into space. Their final report, "Extending Human Presence into the Solar System," [PDF], contains their innovative ideas on how to retire the Space Shuttle and develop a new vehicle for human space travel.

We have also introduced a whole new idea in planning human planetary exploration: building a Planetary Outpost test bed on the Moon. We've formally submitted this concept to NASA's new office of Exploration Systems, and we're promoting it broadly, from Washington, D.C. to Beijing. Read a short summary or download a full report [PDF] on "Lunar Way Stations!"

In addition, we have:

• Coordinated with Russian experts to produce an authoritative report on human Moon-to-Mars space transportation [PDF].


• Testified before the President's "Moon-to-Mars" Commission, establishing The Planetary Society as the leading public interest group and membership organization advocating for the aggressive pursuit of getting humans to Mars. Read the testimony of Louis Friedman, the Society's Executive Director before the Commission.


• Established an even stronger presence in Washington, D.C. by appointing our own Society representative in the U.S. capital to keep us informed about developments there.


• Organized a special session at the UN/European Space Agency "Basic Space Science" Workshop in China to bring together all of the nations participating in lunar missions. These include China, India, Japan and European nations, as well as the U.S.


• In addition, The Planetary Society's President, Wesley T. Huntress, led a two-year study sponsored by the International Academy of Astronautics on the long-term goals of human space exploration, and the ways to get there [PDF]


• Held a workshop in conjunction with the Association of Space Explorers and the American Astronautical Society about the future of human space transportation. The workshop generated papers on "Concepts for Human Space Transportation to Low Earth Orbit," by John Garvey; "Transportation Concepts Beyond Low Earth Orbit," by Douglas Stetson; "International Considerations," by Jim Zimmerman; and a final report endorsed by The Planetary Society, the American Astronautical Society, and a number of astronauts.


• Testified before the House Science Committee and Senate Commerce Committee on the future of human spaceflight. Read the congressional testimonies of Wesley T. Huntress and Bruce C. Murray.