"Ultimately, it is not so much the goal that we should be concerned about as much as the process
through which we attempt to achieve it. A return trip to Mars will
require that we invent many new technologies and systems, all of which
will have to perform seamlessly to ensure a safe and successful
mission. Given the amount of uncertainty involved in such an endeavor,
it is naïve to think we can sit here today and identify the date of our
first touchdown and the means by which we will get there. Instead, we
need to adopt a modular, experiment-driven approach, gradually building
and verifying the set of technologies that will be needed for such a
mission, while adapting our plans as we learn more about what
approaches have merit, and which are likely to be dead ends."
— Alan MacCormack