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Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Benton C. Clark, will talk about
Human Missions to the Red Planet.

DR. BENTON C. CLARK
Biography
Dr. Benton C. Clark is chief scientist of Flight Systems and has LMA Project Scientist responsibility for the Mars Global Surveyor, Odyssey, Stardust and, Genesis programs. Clark also is the Director of the Advanced Planetary Studies group, and he serves as a co-investigator for the Surface Science Package (SSP) experiment on the Huygens probe
for the Cassini mission.

Previously, Clark was the project manager for the Manned Mars Systems Study for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center from 1987-1990. From 1990-1991, he directed studies of Space Station accommodation and the servicing of a Lunar Transfer Vehicle and Mars nuclear propulsion systems for NASA’s Langley Research Center. He was the LMA’s technical director of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) from 1989-1991. Clark previously chaired the External Advisory Committee for the NASA Center for Research and Training (NSCORT) in Exobiology at the University of California in San Diego and Salk Institute. He now serves on a National Academy of Sciences “Committee on Precursor Measurements for Human Operations on Mars.”

Dr. Clark has written more than 130 publications, reports, abstracts, and presentations covering instrumentation, planetary missions, radiation, space science, planetary geochemistry, exobiology, and other fields of research and development. He also owns five patents. In 1974, Clark was selected as “Inventor of the Year” by Martin Marietta; in 1977, he was awarded the NASA Public Service Medal; in 1989, he was selected as Astronautics’ “Author of the Year” and
Wright Brothers Award winner; in 1999, he was awarded “Author of the Year” for Astronautics for the paper, “Surviving
the Limits to Life at the Surface of Mars.”

Clark earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, his master’s degree from the University of
California, and his doctorate from Columbia University.

Abstract: Human Missions to the Red Planet
Are we ready? What are the technological and operational barriers to sending astronauts to Mars, and how can we overcome them? Sending humans to Mars is a two to three orders of magnitude greater undertaking than sending “robotic” missions, by all reasonable measures of technology, mass and cost. Yet, with clever and efficient design, the costs of Mars missions have been reduced drastically over the past two decades. Compared to robotic spacecraft,
human missions require closed-loop life support systems; large-volumetric, pressurized living accommodations; more elaborate fail-safe mission success subsystems; human health maintenance capabilities; radiation shelters; and a new class of Earth-to-orbit launch vehicles. Furthermore, mission architectures for human missions can be significantly different than for robotic missions for a variety of “safety-first” reasons. Of all upcoming NASA and international space missions, humans-to-Mars will be the most compelling from the public standpoint, and potentially one of the most important from the standpoints of scientific rewards and engineering challenges.

WHEN: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, social 5:30pm, dinner 6:30pm, program 7pm
TICKET DEADLINE: Monday, February 25, 2002.
WHERE: CROSSWINDS GOLF COURSE, Airways Avenue (Pooler Pkwy) on East Side of I-95

MENU: Chicken, Potatoes, Vegetable, Salad, Rolls, Dessert, Tea and Coffee.
COST: $15 MEMBERS, $12 STUDENTS & CO-OPS, $18 NON-MEMBERS

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM: Scott Maher, x.23540; Mark D. Moss, x.23914; Don Freund, x.25399

Drawing will be held for door prize