'Sending Astronauts To Mars Would be Stupid'

One of the first men to orbit the Moon has told BBC Radio 5 Live that it's 'stupid' to plan human missions to Mars. Bill Anders, lunar module pilot of Apollo 8, the first human spaceflight to leave Earth's orbit, said sending crews to Mars was 'almost ridiculous'. From a report: NASA is currently planning new human missions to the Moon. It wants to learn the skills and develop the technology to enable a future human landing on Mars. NASA was approached for a response to Anders' comments, but hasn't responded.

Anders, 85, said he's a 'big supporter' of the 'remarkable' unmanned programmes, 'mainly because they're much cheaper'. But he says the public support simply isn't there to fund vastly more expensive human missions. 'What's the imperative? What's pushing us to go to Mars?' he said, adding 'I don't think the public is that interested'. Meanwhile, robotic probes are still exploring Mars. Last month, the InSight lander, which will sample the planet's interior, successfully touched down at Elysium Planitia.
Further reading: Bill Nye: We Are Not Going To Live on Mars, Let Alone Turn It Into Earth.

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