NASA's plans to send humans to Mars was called into question, again, this time by the U.S. House Space Subcommittee at at February 3 hearing.

As reported by Eric Berger in Ars Technica, three witnesses called to testify cautioned that NASA's current plan lacks technology, funding and leadership needed to mount a successful Mars mission. One witness, Eric Sommerer, described the current plan as an "extraordinarily challenging goal, from physiological, technical, and programmatic standpoints,” and advised that "unprecedented discipline in development, testing, execution, and leadership" would be required in insure success.

Brian Babin of Texas chairs the subcommittee, whose findings will weigh heavily in future decisions about how much of the federal budget will be allocated to support deep space exploration by humans. All committee members are listed on this site, if you'd like to contact any or all to express your opinions on NASA's plans to send humans to Mars.

Whether the timing is a coincidence or not, NASA/JPL released a series of "space travel posters," including one for Mars (shown above), leaving no doubt about whether the agency still believes Mars is a future human destination. 

The poster blends elements representing past and present Mars missions: rockets, CD's, radio telescopes and rovers, with those pointing to our possible Martian future: water, plant growth, and - of course - a human profile in a space helmet.