Committee explores potential for future human spaceflight

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) recently said that making an extended surface operation on the moon a U.S. space program priority would inspire future generations and help prepare for a human mission to Mars.

Smith, the chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, delivered his remarks during a committee hearing on the future of human space flight.

NASA currently has no plan in place for human space exploration. The NASA Authorization Act of 2014, which was recently approved by the House of Representatives, would require a detailed plan from NASA to land humans on Mars.

Smith said the Obama administration has focused on “costly distractions” that fail to inspire future generations to pursue careers in fields like science and math.

“However, a distinguished panel of experts has concluded that a return to ‘extended surface operations on the moon’ would make significant contributions to landing people on Mars,” Smith said. “The same has not been said for the asteroid retrieval mission (ARM), which is a mission without a realistic budget, without a destination and without a certain launch date. We must rekindle within NASA the fire that blazed the trail to the moon.”

House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Chairman Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) said a recent report from the National Research Council points to the need for a detailed plan and budgeting to support a human mission to Mars.

“The report also agreed with previous conclusions from this committee that an asteroid retrieval mission would lead to dead ends on the pathway approach,” Palazzo said. “I want to emphasize that statement and reiterate my thoughts that the ARM is a costly distraction, and I’m hopeful that NASA will take the recommendations of this report to heart.”