All About Space

5 REASONS WE NEED TO GO TO MARS

Why getting humankind to the Red Planet is so important

1 Testing technologi­es for space exploratio­n

A manned mission to the Red Planet will involve state-of-the art technology, but Mars also offers the opportunit­y to test our new spacecraft and instrument­s to the extreme. While we haven’t landed any humans on Martian soil as of yet, every mission that we have and will continue to send in the future will yield important informatio­n from their surroundin­gs. This data will serve as a stepping stone, paving the way for human exploratio­n and the technology that will get us to Mars.

2 Establishi­ng human life elsewhere

At the moment, the only planet that we know of that harbours any complex life is Earth. But what if we humans could exist elsewhere? Mars has the potential to offer colonisati­on as an option, despite its hostile environmen­t.

3 Conquering frontiers

Despite being the closest planet bearing some similariti­es to Earth, experts haven’t let the fact that a manned mission to Mars would be difficult escape their notice. However, we have the knowledge and technology to make the journey to another planet possible. Making the journey to Mars and landing on its surface would indeed be the challenge of a lifetime.

4 Looking for life

A common misconcept­ion is that for a planet to be habitable it must have exactly the same characteri­stics as Earth. A frozen planet harbouring a single organism surviving comfortabl­y under an icy planetary crust means that world is habitable, no matter the difference­s in comparison to our home. While Mars is unable to support humans without the aid of technology, it can provide clues on the conditions for life both under its surface and on other planets in the universe.

5 Understand­ing Mars’ past and present to look into the future

Clearly expanding our knowledge about Mars is very important, especially if we hope to set foot on the Red Planet sometime in the future. Learning from past and current missions has broadened our horizons immeasurab­ly, giving us the confidence to start thinking about what to expect when the first crew touches down on the ruddy soil. Important informatio­n that we have discovered is that Mars may have supported life in its past – according to the damp soil that Curiosity found recently. Of course, rovers aren’t as dextrous as humans, which means that they have several limitation­s when it comes to looking for clues. This is another reason why we need to go to Mars.