Buzz Aldrin urges NASA to build a 'permanent' base on Mars

Esteemed astronaut and punch-thrower Buzz Aldrin wants NASA to build a "permanent Mars base" by 2031.

Aldrin went as far as to say that the base needs to be "the most important goal of the U.S. space program" during a Facebook Q&A as part of NewSpace 2014. He even has a 25-year plan for the base.

"In 2009, my submission to the Augustine Commission of United Space Vision had the U.S. leading internationals with landing on Mars in 2031," Aldrin said. "I believe it may take us until just before 2040, which is just two decades from the anniversary of landing on the moon."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Without funding, though, it's difficult to say whether Aldrin's proposal will ever turn into action. NASA's budget request for $17.5 million this year includes a $185 million cut from its budget last year.

Aldrin is still confident in America's space programs, though. "We are innovators because of the freedoms we enjoy... that is our strong suit," he said.