For NASA, Mars Beyond Reach Without Budget Boost

For NASA, Mars Beyond Reach Without Budget Boost

If NASA continues to be funded at its current levels, a manned mission to Mars could be permanently beyond reach, space industry experts say.

When asked how soon astronauts could potentially set foot on Mars under NASA’s current budget constraints, Thomas Young, the former executive vice president of Lockheed Martin, says the outlook is bleak.

“With the current budget, bear with me, I would probably say never,” Young said during a meeting of the U.S. House of Representative’s space subcommittee today (June 19).