Purdue News

June 11, 2004

NASA Center director supports missions to the moon and beyond

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The President's Commission to the Moon, Mars and Beyond on Wednesday (June 16) is expected to announce its report as NASA gears up to potentially develop a permanent lunar base that will act as a way station for later missions to Mars.

Humans will play a crucial role in the search for evidence of life on Mars, said Cary Mitchell, director of NASA's Specialized Center of Research and Training in Advanced Life Support, or ALS-NSCORT.

"Machine vision and remote sensory perception are not advanced enough yet to find and reliably detect all indicators relevant to past or present life," Mitchell said. "Our role in ALS-NSCORT is to enable people to make that trip. Robots will assist humans in the early missions and will substitute for people in later, more distant missions and in more dangerous space environments."

He also said humans will need to learn how to live independently at extraterrestrial sites pending a time when migration from Earth may become necessary.

Mitchell, who also is a Purdue University professor of horticulture, is available to discuss a variety of issues related to space exploration.

CONTACT: Mitchell, (765) 494-1347, mitchell@hort.purdue.edu