"It is clear to me that we will not be able to build a long-term research base on Mars if we don't first do it on the Moon," planetary scientist Chris McKay wrote in a paper entitled "The Case for a NASA Research Base on the Moon" that was published last year in the journal New Space.
"New technologies and approaches, and increased international interest in the Moon make the time right to consider pushing for a base that is 10 times less expensive than previous base designs," McKay added in an email.
Development of the Orion space capsule, Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket and launch pad renovations at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida currently cost NASA more than $3 billion a year.
Ultimately, the hurdles on the path to Mars are political, not technical, in nature, the National Research Council report concludes.
"Probably the most significant single factor in allowing progress beyond low Earth orbit is the development of a strong national (and international) consensus about the pathway to be undertaken and sustained discipline in not tampering with that plan over many administrations and Congresses," the panel said.
