Should the USA go to Mars?

In some visions, the crew will land on Mars by using the nuclear-powered Mars lander, which acts same time. As the lander, rover, and craft that can fly back to the orbiter. The system can use the nuclear thermal rocket to make that kind of journey possible. The ability to move and return to orbit makes this system safe. Then the lander module docks to the nuclear rocket that transports it to Earth. 

This kind of system can connect with the solar sail. Then the solar wind and nuclear bombs accelerate it to Mars and maybe to other atmospheric planets. There that craft can use the solar sail as a parachute. The Medusa drive is a hybrid system that uses nuclear bombs and solar sail to transport craft to other planets like Venus, Mars, and Titan moon. The system can transport this kind of nuclear-powered rover shuttle to those distant places. The Medusa system can also return that thing to Earth from Mars. The system can also involve a laser or ion cannon that shoots into that solar sail. That improves the abilities of the Medusa drive. 

In some models, there is a nuclear reactor in the middle of the Medusa craft. The reactor sends particles backward and to the solar sail. The sail also acts as a cooler and communication antenna.  But in the most powerful vision of this futuristic system, antimatter explosions in the middle of the spacecraft send particles to the solar sail and back to space. The system can use a linear accelerator to make the anti-electrons, called positrons. Then, the linear accelerator shoots electrons against those positrons. Those particle-antiparticle pairs annihilate. The annihilation makes thrust when it sends energy to the sail and back. The solar sail offers a good cooler. 

The main question about the manned Mars mission is: does it bring something else, than just gold and glory? The economic costs of that program are similar to the Apollo program. That transported people to the moon. The question is: why do people like Trump and Musk want to take people to Mars? The answer is that they get gold and glory from that project. 

Futuristic Medusa drive is similar to "Project Orion" the spacecraft that planned to use nuclear bombs to accelerate it. But in Medusa, the system involves the solar sail which makes it more effective. Those systems are futuristic visions of nuclear pulse propulsion. They can use nuclear bombs, antimatter beams, antimatter bombs, and other kinds of ion and laser systems to accelerate it. 

The Mars program continues. The question is which route the NASA select? Does it select the non-manned route where robots operate on distant planets? That route minimizes the risks of injuries. Or does it choose a manned path? Both of those routes require things, like new computers, large language models, etc. And the system requires more advanced rockets like nuclear thermal propulsion. 

And then we can return to the Apollo program. The costs of that program were incredible. That program allowed engineers to create spacewalking technologies and during that project researchers and engineers developed many products like Velcos, micrometeorite protection, and many other things like radiation protective suits. Another thing is that the scientific results of that program were more humbling than the technical advances that Apollo made possible. 

The Moon samples and other things could brought to Earth using the automatic systems. Those systems will not risk lives. And this is why robots are researching solar systems. In some visions, the Mars samples that the NASA rover can launch to Earth will take to the moon. There the AI and remote-controlled laboratories make the analysis. There is a small risk that there is sleeping live on that red planet. 

Mars is not any asteroid Bennu. That has no atmosphere and protects against cosmic radiation. The thing is that one mRNA bite can cause infection in humans. The possibility that some sleeping organisms exist on the red planet is minimal. But that possibility must be noticed. Even the smallest possibility is a possibility. 

The economic load of that project created technological steps like computer technology and remote control systems. Also, the COBOL programming language was created for computers that controlled moon modules. The Mars program can also give a boost. To the large language model, LLM, development. Those things brought a very good boost for American industries that owned their patents. Micrometeor protection is a double-use product that can help aircraft and other systems survive under fire in combat zones. The nuclear thermal rockets are tools that NASA needs for that operation. 

One of the most futuristic versions of the Mars craft is the idea of the nuclear-powered space shuttle that can use nuclear thermal propulsion. 

And that technology opens roads to the asteroid belt and beyond. The risks of that mission are enormous, but if it succeeds it opens new roads to the US technology. The Apollo program accelerated the R&D processes in both, civil and military sectors. So, when we think about the U.S. industry and the Mars flights that thing also brings something into their hands. Like Apollo, the Mars mission can accelerate innovations that serve as well as civil and military operators.

The Mars base involves technology. That is useful also in remote locations, underwater structures, and bases as well as in the cases of pandemics. It's possible. The R&D process of that project goes so far. The AI-controlled robots make the station for the crew, which should be on Mars for about one year. The Mars station requires recycling technologies for waste. There is needed biotechnology for food production and of course, the crew needs clothes and other kinds of things. 

The Mars mission can bring gold and glory to America it has not made fundamental things after the Moon missions. But the problem is that. Everything that astronauts can collect can be collected using AI-controlled robots. The stable life on Mars is not yet possible. But maybe base with changing crew can be made in our lifetime. The fact is that this kind of base is one of the things that the Mars crew requires during their mission on the planet. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)