NASA plans to explore Mars using astronauts in robotic rover missions
Photo credit: AP | NASA's Curiosity rover zaps a martian rock in this artist's rendering. (Aug. 5, 2012)
NASA's future plans to explore Mars may end up using astronauts as space messengers.
The new idea surfaced as a special team looking for a new Mars robotic exploration plan released a preliminary report Tuesday.
One of the option calls for a Martian robotic rover to collect rocks on the red planet. Later, astronauts in a newly built spaceship would be used to pick them up from a cosmic...
Curiosity makes first Mars trip
Mars landing on Sunday
New views from Mars
NASA space images