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25-464: Presentations were given to Robert Zubrin ( Mars Society ), and the award for best design was given to The University of Washington (UW). The UW team continued to develop the concept until the end of the school year (June 2002), after which funding became an issue. The team from UW contacted members of the team that presented from MIT, and the two universities agreed to continue development together. Later University of Queensland – Australia (UQ) joined

50-726: A B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Rochester (1974); he was a science teacher for 7 years before becoming an engineer. He earned a M.S. in Nuclear Engineering (1984), a M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics (1986), and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering (1992) — all from the University of Washington . He has developed a number of concepts for space propulsion and exploration, and

75-687: A background character in The Martian Race (1999) by Gregory Benford , a science fiction novel depicting early human explorers on Mars in the very near future. Benford, who is also an astrophysicist, is a longtime member of both the board of directors and the steering committee of the Mars Society. In Martin Burckhardt's science fiction novel Score , the Mars Expedition Astronauts send 90-year-old Robert Zubrin

100-532: A base or outpost on an asteroid or another Apollo program -like return to the Moon, as neither would be able to provide all of its own oxygen, water, or energy; these resources are producible on Mars, and he expects people would be there thereafter. Disappointed with the lack of interest from government in Mars exploration and after the success of his book The Case for Mars (1996), as well as leadership experience at

125-634: A potential single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft, and developed the Black Colt . However, he would eventually leave Martin Marietta to co-form Pioneer Rocketplane with Mitchell Burnside Clapp , an aerospace engineer from the US Air Force , due to a perceived lack of interest in reducing launch costs at larger aerospace firms. In his book, Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization , Zubrin would write about how both large aerospace firms, and

150-493: A proposal in a 1990 research paper intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission. The key idea was to use the Martian atmosphere to produce oxygen, water, and rocket propellant for the surface stay and return journey. A modified version of the plan was subsequently adopted by NASA as their "design reference mission". He questions the delay and cost-to-benefit ratio of first establishing

175-542: A research and development company committed to developing innovative technologies to further space exploration and improve life on earth. The company relied primarily on small business research contracts and tackled a large variety of space-relevant problems. On 13 July 2020 Voyager Space Holdings announced its acquisition of Pioneer Astronautics. In 2008 Zubrin founded Pioneer Energy, a research and development firm headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado . The company's focus

200-468: A series of public debates Zubrin has held with his friend Christopher McKay , who advocates a moderately biocentric position on the ethics of terraforming. For example, a written account of some of these debates is available in On to Mars: Colonizing a New World , as a joint article, "Do indigenous Martian bacteria have precedence over human exploration?" (pp. 177–182) An aged Robert Zubrin also appears as

225-482: A status report was released declaring the end of this program, due to lack of funding and shifting priorities at NASA. Gravity on Mars is only about 38% as strong as it is on Earth, and the long-term effects of such reduced gravity are unknown. Astronauts who are weightless for long periods of time lose significant amounts of bone and muscle mass. It is unclear if the gravity on Mars is strong enough to avoid or minimize these health problems. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite

250-463: A video reply thanking him for his work over the years after receiving a congratulatory one from him for their successful landing on Mars.[p. 227] Zubrin was featured in a 2007 CBC News documentary special, The Passionate Eye , titled "The Mars Underground". The songwriter and musician Frank Black (alias Black Francis of the Pixies) penned an homage to Zubrin, "Robert Onion", on the album Dog in

275-435: Is an American aerospace engineer , author, and advocate for human exploration of Mars . He is also an advocate for U.S. space superiority, writing that "in the 21st century, victory on land, sea or in the air will go to the power that controls space" and that "if we desire peace on Earth, we need to prepare for war in space." He and his colleague at Martin Marietta , David Baker, were the driving force behind Mars Direct ,

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300-519: Is the author of over 200 technical and non-technical papers and several books. He is also President of both the Mars Society and Pioneer Astronautics, a private company that does research and development on innovative aerospace technologies. Zubrin is the co-inventor on a U.S. design patent and a U.S. utility patent on a hybrid rocket/airplane, and on a U.S. utility patent on an oxygen supply system (see links below). Zubrin's inventions include

325-488: Is to develop mobile Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) systems that can enable CO 2 -based EOR for both small and large oil producers in the United States. The company has also developed a number of new processes for manufacturing synthetic fuels. Zubrin is known as an advocate of a moderately anthropocentric position in the ethics of terraforming . Discussions of the ethics of terraforming often make reference to

350-552: The National Space Society , Zubrin established the Mars Society in 1998. This is an international organization advocating a human mission to Mars as a goal, by private funding if possible. Zubrin was born in Brooklyn , New York City on April 9, 1952. His father was descended from Russian Jewish immigrants. Zubrin was awarded his first patent at age 20 in 1972 for Three Player Chess . Zubrin holds

375-575: The US Government , would fail to reduce the costs of spaceflight. In 1998, Zubrin founded the Mars Society, and in the following years, was able to attract large amounts of public interest to potential human colonisation on Mars. The work of the Mars Society was successful enough as to encourage the US Government to not cut funding for several Mars rover missions. In 1996 Zubrin founded Pioneer Astronautics (formerly Pioneer Invention),

400-620: The nuclear salt-water rocket and co-inventor (with Dana Andrews) of the magnetic sail . Zubrin is fellow at Center for Security Policy . During his professional career, Zubrin was a member of Lockheed Martin 's scenario development team charged with developing strategies for space exploration . He was also "a senior engineer with the Martin Marietta Astronautics company, working as one of its leaders in development of advanced concepts for interplanetary missions". During his time at Martin Marietta, he drafted ideas for

425-513: The Sand . The lyrics are in the form of an acrostic , spelling "Robert The Case for Mars Zubrin". In 2010 Robert Zubrin was featured in the Symphony of Science video "The Case for Mars" along with Carl Sagan , Brian Cox , and Penelope Boston . The fictional character Dr. Zachary Walzer in the 2010–2011 independent VODO series Pioneer One was inspired by Zubrin. In 2016, Zubrin

450-658: The development of a full payload engineering model. In 2006, the students of Mars Gravity developed a novel microfinancing platform called Your Name Into Space. This was meant to help finance the development of their spacecraft. This initiative is designed to give individuals and corporations the opportunity to fly images of their choice into orbit. By the program's end in 2009, the project had engaged over 600 undergraduate, graduate, and high school students in aerospace engineering, space life sciences, and program management. Over 20 conference presentations and papers were published, earning multiple student awards. On 24 June 2009,

475-766: The merger of the Glenn L. Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation . Martin, based in Baltimore , was primarily an aerospace concern with a recent focus on missiles , namely its Titan program. This program was established in 1955 when the company secured the U.S. Air Force contract to build the country's second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). American-Marietta was headquartered in Chicago and produced paints, dyes, metallurgical products, construction materials, and other goods. In 1982, Martin Marietta

500-484: The mission concept. With ongoing funding challenges, UW and UQ withdrew after several years and Georgia Institute of Technology stepped in to build on their design work. The effort represented the most ambitious and complex student satellite project to date. The mission concept was envisioned to carry 15 mice in low Earth orbit for five weeks. The satellite was designed to spin at approximately 32 rpm to generate centrifugal force that they would experience as gravity on

525-529: The surface of Mars . At the end of its mission, the satellite would reenter Earth's atmosphere and its cargo of mice would be retrieved. In 2007, a tentative launch date for the Mars Gravity Biosatellite had been set for 2010 or 2011, as the primary payload on a Falcon 1E or a Minotaur IV launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. In 2005, the involved universities received a $ 200,000 NASA advanced projects development grant to support

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550-561: The team as well. The program ended in 2009. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite program began in 2001 as a Mars Society initiative called Translife that grew out of a discussion between Robert Zubrin and Elon Musk . It was intended to study the effects of the gravity of Mars (about one-third that of Earth) on mammals , for which no data was available. Over the next few years, the program grew both scope and vision, with staff and students from MIT ( Payload ), UW ( Spacecraft Bus ) and UQ ( Reentry ) collaboratively designing various parts of

575-615: Was meant to provide data on how mammalian health is affected by long-term exposure to lower levels of gravity, focusing on bone loss, changes in bone structure, muscle atrophy , and changes in the inner ear . The results from the five-week mission experiment would have been compared against a variety of Earth-based controls, including vivarium, hindlimb suspension, partial weight suspension, flight habitat effects, and short-radius centrifuge testing. Robert Zubrin Robert Zubrin ( / ˈ z uː b r ɪ n / ; born April 9, 1952 )

600-573: Was one of several scientists and engineers interviewed in the National Geographic miniseries Mars . Martin Marietta The Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of Glenn L. Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation . In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin . Martin Marietta formed in 1961 by

625-544: Was subject to a hostile takeover bid by the Bendix Corporation , headed by William Agee . Bendix bought the majority of Martin Marietta shares and in effect owned the company. However, Martin Marietta's management used the short time separating ownership and control to sell non-core businesses and launch its own hostile takeover of Bendix (known as the Pac-Man defense ). Thomas G. Pownall, CEO of Martin Marietta,

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