Timeframe and roadmap

Abstract

Human missions to Mars are still a goal for a more or less distant future. If we want to transform them into reality, then we must state detailed which address all the still unknown aspects and focus our efforts on the many details remaining to be settled. The must not only address technological and scientific aspects, but must also concentrate on feasibility, affordability, and risk control if we are to transform a dream into an exploration campaign. It is likely that the road to Mars will involve the exploration and development of the Moon and that the experience gained on the Moon will be essential to later going on to Mars in a safe, affordable, and consistent way. As a means of assessing how feasible each project for human Mars exploration is at any moment in time, an index, the Human Mars Mission Feasibility Index (HMMFI), has been proposed.