• Question: When do you think we will be on mars

    Asked by anon-253064 to RobL, NuclearJames, Helena, Sarah, Richard, Megan, Jordan, Adam on 12 May 2020. This question was also asked by anon-254282, anon-256832, anon-257940.
    • Photo: Helena Bates

      Helena Bates answered on 12 May 2020:

      Well we’ve already put rovers and other instruments on Mars! There are two currently working on the red planet – Curiosity which is looking at how habitable Mars may have been, and Insight, which is using Marsquakes to look at the interior structure of the planet. There are other missions planned in the near future too – Exomars which is a European mission, and the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverence rover, which is going to collect samples for possible future return missions to Earth. But I guess you are more specifically asking about when will we put people on Mars? Its not currently a mission any space agency like NASA or ESA has planned but its definitely the next step of our exploration of the Solar System. I reckon in about 20 – 30 years it might happen. I think people back on the moon will happen sooner.

    • Photo: James Smallcombe

      James Smallcombe answered on 12 May 2020:

      I think Helena’s reckon of 20-30 years is reasonable.
      One of the questions is what type of mission we would aim for. Would we prepare a base for long term human living using remote drones and later send volunteers on a one way trip to live there? Or would we send people on a shorter visit to return with samples?
      I terms of colonising Mars I think we would be looking at much longer (100 years?) if ever.

Comments

  • Photo: John

    John commented on :

    Its really hard to know, My ‘Brooke Bond PG Tips tea card album (Race into Space, published about 1970) has the details of mission sketched out for 1986. That’s 35 years ago! I would guess we will not see such a flight for another 35 years. In the 60’s and 70’s people were more flexible than robots, and space politics was a big thing. Today, as said above, we have REALLY smart robots which can drive on Mars, collect samples and drill holes. This is so much safer, and probably better value for money, than sending people. So it isn’t going to happen until we have a good reason to commit so much money to send people to Mars. That said, I’d go tomorrow if you gave me the chance.