• Question: Do you think anyone will land on Mars in the future?

    Asked by barakat to Pete, Keith, Aaron on 14 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Peter Burgess

      Peter Burgess answered on 14 Nov 2015:

      I actually just saw a documentary about this in the cinema. A guy called Mark Watney was left behind when the Ares 3 mission had to be abandoned due to a freak dust storm…

      Seriously though, one day someone will go to Mars. In the whole of human history we as a species have asked the question “What’s next?”, and Mars is on the list. It might not be next; we probably need to practice by going back to the Moon first, and maybe to visit an asteroid.
      The technology we needed to put a man on the Moon is over fifty years old now. The thing that’s stopping us going to Mars at the moment is more the cost. We’re living in a time where “Is this good value for taxpayer’s money?” is a key question for scientists, and if you’re looking at a manned Mars mission, the answer to that question is very likely to be no.

    • Photo: Aaron Boardley

      Aaron Boardley answered on 17 Nov 2015:

      Yes.

      Nasa is developing the things it needs to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. Considering how much forward planning these things take, that’s pretty soon!

      Of course, Nasa aren’t the only organisation involved in space travel – but they’re probably the most famous to those of us who watch American movies, and because of their success landing on the moon in 1969. You can read more about Nasa’s plans to go to Mars at: https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasas-journey-to-mars

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