The Challenge: Design a comprehensive plan for a manned mission to Mars to search for life.
Background: A mission to Mars for any purpose is a very complicated problem. Our decision to make Mission 2004 a manned mission, has some serious implications. A critical question to answer, is that of feasibility in the public’s eye. How will the public react to a manned mission to Mars? How we present the mission to them is an important question of public relations. Indeed, the first question on tax-payer’s minds will be the cost of the mission. Beyond budget constraints, there are several other limiting factors, the most important being time.