New Supply Software to Help Keep Astronauts Alive and Working

It would appear we've gained yet another bit of technology we will need in order to actually go to Mars. This article announces the creation of resource management software. Basically, this software keeps track of what should be sent off planet in order to keep a mission as well supplied as possible. It ranks different items as more necessary than others, so that astronauts would not run out of necessities like food and have a dozen spare parts they may or may not need. The software is currently only designed for lunar missions, but they intend to add a Martian version soon. The logistics of supplying Mars are a little bit more extensive than the Moon, since the Moon is only three days away by spaceship rather than years away. The purpose of the software is to help plan for the proposed back to the Moon lander missions, but we'll see if we ever really get there.