This last June, Elon Musk just said that his SpaceX spaceships will get humans to Mars by 2026, with or without NASA. It may seem cocky, but coming from a man who has built this entire company so he can die on Mars—and to "help ensure the survival of humanity"—those words are not to be taken lightly.
This is a man that embraces big dreams; this sort of guy should be interested in the Ni/H reactor. This compact and energy dense power source solves so many problems that are plaguing the Mars mission concept, it’s natural that Mars and LENR should be joined in a marriage of convenience. The biggest problem that a Mars mission faces is just the very long transit times needed to get to and from the Red Planet. Long duration space flight is a multiplier of the downsides that this trip will entail. This long transit timeframe requires that so much food and water must be transported to keep the crew alive, in the end, it amounts to a logistical and economic disaster. This long timeframe also exposes the crew to extensive radiation risks that must be mitigated by heavy shielding. Another related issue is the peril to the crew imposed by long term exposure to microgravity. The human body suffers in the microgravity environment of space. For example, without effective countermeasures — i.e., vigorous weight-bearing exercise — astronauts' muscles atrophy and their bones shed calcium, becoming more and more brittle over time. By the time that the crew gets to Mars, they will be enfeebled. Mars may possess a stark and austere beauty, but the crew of a manned Red Planet mission will likely see that beauty so well because microgravity is hard on the eyes Recently, scientists have begun realizing that spaceflight can cause serious and perhaps permanent vision problems in astronauts. NASA researchers are working hard to understand the issue, which could present a major hurdle to mounting manned missions to Mars and other faraway destinations. This is one that NASA doesn’t yet have a good handle on, and it can be a showstopper. All these vexing issues require added payload to address them. Every added pound of payload means less useful material can be exported to the surface of Mars. A continuous radiation free nuclear power source that keeps the engines firing throughout the Mars transit will cut that travel time from years to weeks. Furthermore, the Mars LENR spacecraft can be configured to shield the crew from space radiation using its inherent anti-radiation mechanisms. If Elon Musk wants to be buried on Mars surrounded by legends of vigorous and healthy pioneering stock, then this inspired visionary would be well served to embrace the LENR dream now and help us romantics make LENR happen.
