Buzz Aldrin joins university, forming 'master plan' for Mars

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Aug 27, 4:21 PM EDT
Buzz Aldrin joins university, forming 'master plan' for Mars

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) -- Buzz Aldrin is teaming up with Florida Institute of Technology to develop "a master plan" for colonizing Mars within 25 years.

The second man to walk on the moon took part in a signing ceremony Thursday at the university, which is located in Melbourne, less than an hour's drive from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute is set to open this fall.

The 85-year-old Aldrin, who followed Neil Armstrong onto the moon's surface on July 20, 1969, will serve as a research professor of aeronautics as well as a senior faculty adviser for the institute.

Aldrin is pushing for a Mars settlement by approximately 2040. More specifically, he's shooting for 2039, the 70th anniversary of his own Apollo 11 moon landing.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_BUZZ_ALDRIN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-27-16-21-57

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(Short article, no more at link.)

[longship]

1. I love me some Buzz.

He's incredibly smart, and articulate.

And BTW, BADASS!

The best, most deserved, punch in the face ever.

You go, Buzz.

[NBachers]

8. Oh, man, that made my day!

[Beta Male]

2. Right on, Buzz!

Although I do worry a Chinese-Indian mission will get there before us.

[bananas]

6. No, China and India won't get there before us.

Only the US and USSR/Russia have been able to land anything on Mars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_landing

Of multiple attempted Mars landings by robotic, unmanned spacecraft, seven were successful.

Only the US has sent people to the moon, and we stopped because it was so expensive.

Only the US, USSR/Russia, and China have sent people to space.


China said they'll build a crewed lunar base which will be open to all.

They wanted it to be an international partnership, and there was a lot of interest from Europe, but nobody would commit, so China said they'd do it on their own, if anyone wants to join in later ok.

[bananas]

3. Press release with more info: Buzz Aldrin Space Institute Formed at Florida Institute of Technology

http://newsroom.fit.edu/2015/08/27/buzz-aldrin-space-institute-formed-at-florida-institute-of-technology/

Buzz Aldrin Space Institute Formed at Florida Institute of Technology
August 27, 2015


The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Institute of Technology was formalized Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Melbourne, Fla.-based university. Florida Tech President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony J. Catanese, far left, and Aldrin, the legendary Apollo 11 astronaut, signed the agreement, joined by Florida Tech Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer T. Dwayne McCay, far right.

Supporting Settlement of Mars Key to Institute’s Mission

MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Institute of Technology today held a signing ceremony formalizing the establishment of the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at the university. Opening this fall and led by legendary Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the Institute will promote the settlement of Mars through research.

“Florida Tech has long been at the forefront of exploration—since the days of our founding in 1958, serving as the ‘night school for missilemen’ when America began the race for space at Cape Canaveral,” said Florida Tech President and CEO Anthony J. Catanese. “Having Dr. Aldrin build this new initiative at Florida Tech is indeed an honor. We look forward to meaningful collaboration as humankind’s new vision for space unfolds.”

Aldrin joins the university faculty as Florida Tech Research Professor of Aeronautics and will serve as Senior Faculty Advisor for the Institute.

“We welcome Dr. Aldrin to the Florida Tech faculty,” said T. Dwayne McCay, Florida Tech executive vice president and COO. “Our entire learning community will benefit from his presence.”

The Institute will support commercial and international development of lunar resources to support an eventual Mars settlement. Dr. Aldrin’s concept is called Cycling Pathways to Occupy Mars. The proposed architecture establishes pathways of progressive missions to cis-lunar space, asteroids, Phobos, and eventually to the surface of Mars.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with FIT in my new home state of Florida,” said Dr. Aldrin. “I am proud of my time at NASA with the Gemini 12 and Apollo 11 programs but I hope to be remembered more for my contributions to the future. FIT will play a key role in my ongoing legacy and Cycling Pathways to Occupy Mars. You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Since retiring from NASA and the U.S. Air Force, Aldrin, who earned a Doctorate of Science in Astronautics from MIT before being named an astronaut in 1963, has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure America’s continued leadership in human space exploration. He began to devise a master plan in 1985 for missions to Mars known as the “Aldrin Mars Cycler” – a spacecraft system with perpetual cycling orbits between Earth and Mars. He has refined the concept over the years continues research on it. Aldrin has received three U.S. patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules for space flight. He founded Starcraft Boosters, Inc., a rocket design company, and Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to addressing science literacy for children by igniting their passion for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) through delivering hands-on STEAM activities and inspirational messages.

As part of this new partnership, The Buzz Aldrin Special Collection and Archives will be established at the university’s Evans library, and will document Aldrin’s life.

Aldrin joins two other astronauts on the Florida Tech faculty—Winston Scott and Sam Durrance, who both flew on the space shuttle. Scott served on STS-72 and STS-87, while Durrance served on the STS-35/Astro-1 and STS-67/Astro-2 missions.

For a biography of Aldrin, visit http://buzzaldrin.com/the-man/biography/.

For more about Florida Tech, visit http://www.fit.edu/.

###

[Demeter]

4. I'd be more impressed by a master plan to rehabilitate the earth, frankly

[Uncle Joe]

7. I agree with your thoughts on the matter, Demeter, but we need to do both

become more harmonious with nature and master space flight to more insure survival of the human and for that matter other life form species.

All of which at this time are hanging on a "tiny pale blue dot."

[MisterP]

10. yeah, you never hear this proposed for like Antarctica, which is 10,000 times more habitable

and accessible

[Demeter]

12. Good point! Not far enough away from the riff-raff and the bombs

Not exclusive enough, and the Greens would be livid.

Unless, of course talk of Mars is a clever ruse to cover up all the treaty violations while Antarctica is prepared as the new Utopia for the .01%

Antarctica would be a lot cheaper, and there would be a Plan B in case of catastrophe....

[MisterP]

13. just think, if history had taken a different twist everyone would be advocating for mountaineering

or something

[jtuck004]

5. China will do it in 10 n/t

[Blue_Tires]

15. I know I'm not trusting *my* life to Chinese-made life support...

[riverbendviewgal]

9. Maybe it will be like Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy

I loved the novels. Believable too.

[Codeine]

11. He's a great example of an SF writer with a distinct leftist bent.

I'm surprised I grew up to be a liberal considering almost all the science fiction I read growing up had such a strong right-wing bias.

[riverbendviewgal]

14. I read a few SF

like Brave New World and Stranger in a Strange Land.

but no other SF besides the Mars Trilogy. My son has read many of Robinson's books and other SF and he is leftis bent.

I am glad you are not a RWr....

[roscoeroscoe]

17. Very good reference

KSR is just the best. I can name a dozen of those characters right now. That trilogy is amazing.

You might try The Dispossed by LeGuin. And Doris Lessing's little-known science fiction about Shikasta.

[Baclava]

16. The space program needs another Wernher von Braun - a vision for the future