A team of mathematical experts have said that 1729, which is also known as the Ramanujan-Hardy number, is linked to aspects of string theory and...
American space agency NASA has been making every possible effort to make its manned mission to the Red Planet a success. Now a recent report published in last week provided a glimpse of NASA's plans, but some lawmakers criticize the plan.
A new NASA report called 'NASA's Journey to Mars' outlines a three-step proposal to visit the Red Planet in the 2030s. The agency wants to start the project by building a jumbo space rocket that would help the shuttle people to an asteroid. After the practice mission, NASA would transport people into Martian orbit.
So far the agency has completed development of some part of the rocket and a space capsule. Two test launches have been funded, with flights set for 2018 and 2023.
House science committee chairman Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas at a Friday hearing said, "This proposal contains no budget, it contains no schedule, no deadlines. This sounds good but it is actually a journey to nowhere until we have that budget and we have the schedule and we have the deadlines".
Criticizing NASA's plans to send manned mission to Mars, Smith also advocated more money for the jumbo Space Launch Systems (SLS) rocket that NASA says will carry astronauts to Mars someday.
Smith and other republican critics of the Obama administration want to give the $3.25 billion effort an extra $400 million next year.
Several democrats such as Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia complained that spending caps on the federal budget favored by Republicans have flat lined space agency spending in this decade.
"This proposal contains no budget, it contains no schedule, no deadlines," House science committee chairman Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas said at a Friday hearing.
