When Will Humans Finally Step Foot On Mars?
The answer regarding when humans will step on Mars is fascinating and also sooner than you probably think. The company with the closest estimate for when humans will step foot on Mars is SpaceX. SpaceX and Elon suggest that the first humans will step foot on Mars in 2026, with uncrewed missions beginning in 2024. This will be done on SpaceX’s current rocket in development Starship, the most powerful rocket in the world. This goal is extremely ambitious but if anyone can do it SpaceX and Starship will be responsible.
Who Is Interested In Going?
Many space agencies and companies around the world are interested but I want to focus on two in particular. Two of the main groups in the space industry NASA and SpaceX both have goals of putting humans on Mars. Both companies have their own reasons for why they want to go to Mars. The important part however is completing the goal and making history on another planet.
NASA
NASA already has a lot of experience with Mars. After many rovers, helicopters, satellites, and more, they know a lot about the planet. This comes in handy but it doesn’t mean they are ready to send humans. NASA has stated that its goal is to first bring humans back to the Moon, set up a base and space station, then focus on Mars.
Their goal at the moon among other things is to first practice setting up and living on a different object similar to a planet for a longer period of time prior to going to Mars. The benefit is that they have already successfully landed on the Moon and it’s close to Earth. This closer proximity will help make the mission easier than going straight to Mars. NASA said they are aiming to put humans on the moon in 2024, and humans on Mars in the 2030s. This seems like quite a while but a lot of development and practice is needed before NASA wants to make the big step to Mars.
SpaceX
SpaceX has a faster approach to Mars when compared to NASA. SpaceX and Elon want to send an uncrewed mission to Mars by 2024 and put humans on the planet by 2026. SpaceX’s main goal for this colossal achievement is the hope and inspiration brought with the mission. Elon always talks about how important the quest for Mars is and how you need something exciting to look forward to in the morning.
This mission could be one of the most important in human history and inspire millions around the world. SpaceX’s plan also has a lot of differences from NASA’s. One being their timeline, SpaceX wants to do it in the next 5 years. The way they plan on doing this is with their newest rocket Starship.
How Starship Will Help Put Humans On Mars
Starship is the rocket SpaceX is currently developing. Starship is the most powerful rocket in the world standing at 120m tall and 9m wide. With Mars being an average of 140 million miles away you need a very powerful rocket to get there. Their rocket’s power is also needed to bring tons of supplies to the planet that will help keep humans alive. This includes life support systems, food, water, shelter, etc.
SpaceX only started development on this rocket a few years ago but it has come so far in such a small time. The reason for this is SpaceX’s crazy speed. They have been working on Starship and the launch site Starbase 24/7 for a very long time. This has meant the rocket and the site have come together in practically no time. With SpaceX’s first orbital test launch just around the corner, the progress is obvious to see.
The part of Starship that is so special is not only its size but also the fact that it is fully reusable. First, of its kind, SpaceX has the goal of each launch only costing $2 million dollars. They also are producing the rocket at a very low cost due to some of the materials they are using. They have put so much focus on cost to allow them to produce and launch a full fleet of rockets. This is necessary if they want to send all the needed supplies to Mars to support humans. If you want to learn more about SpaceX’s Starship check out another one of my articles here.
Why Should We Even Go To Mars?
1. It’s Distance and Similarities to Earth
With an average distance of 140 million miles, Mars is one of the closest habitable neighbors to Earth. Other main benefits are some of the similarities to earth. Mars is a decent bit farther from the sun than Earth but still gets a lot of sunlight. It’s not nearly as warm as earth but we can put humans there and warm the planet up over time.
Another interesting aspect is the atmosphere. While we can’t breathe it there are some other benefits. Mars’s atmosphere is primarily CO2 with some nitrogen and argon. This means we would be able to grow plants just by compressing the atmosphere. One last aspect that compares to earth is the time of day. A day on Mars is almost exactly the same as one on Earth which helps humans adjust and live on the planet.
2. Discovering Life
An additional reason we should go to Mars is the possible discovery of past life. Mars in the past had conditions suitable for life. A human mission to Mars could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth? Possibly providing an answer to this question would be one of the greatest discoveries ever. Humans being on the surface able to look around and conduct tests will be a massive improvement over the rovers we are currently working with.
3. Human Exploration
Exploration is such an important part of the reasons we should go to Mars. The mission to the planet would be exciting and inspiring for people around the world. It would help spark more interest in space and change what the future would look like. It’s missions and goals like these that give us something to look forward to and keep us moving forward.
4. Creating a Base
Creating a base on Mars is necessary if we want humans to live there for an extended period of time. This base would not only shelter the people on the planet but also act as a lab for science. With humans on the surface and access to the different materials on the planet, we would be capable of testing and other science never done before. All this would help answer questions about the universe and if we are alone.
5. Practice Makes Perfect
No matter what, sometimes far away in the future, we will have to leave earth and go somewhere else. Whether it’s because of overpopulation or a different reason, it is bound to happen. Right now we are starting to make the first steps in expanding the human race on different planets. Before we travel to different galaxies and solar systems we have to start small in our own solar system. The skills and techniques of leaving earth and setting up bases on different planets in the coming years will have a direct effect on the future of space travel.
Conclusion
The mission to Mars will be one of the greatest challenges so far in human history. Sending humans on a half-year trip over hundreds of millions of miles is no easy task. Despite these challenges companies like SpaceX are making huge strides towards the goal. With their aggressive timeline of putting humans on the planet by 2026. SpaceX is working 24/7 on their newest rocket and launch site with the main goal of Mars. It’s this determination and consistency that makes me confident they will achieve their goal. In the past, SpaceX and Elon have made wild claims but they seem to always prove people wrong and display what they are capable of.