When does man set foot on Mars?
There is a lot of talk about Mars nowadays. Mankind has sent many robots to the red planet. However, no human has set foot on Mars. When is it time to go there, really?
The short answer is: nobody knows.
Nasa’s plan
The US Space Agency Nasa plans to send people to Mars in the 2030s. Before that, however, they want to send people to the moon to develop technology and train for the long trip to Mars.
No man has been on the moon since 1972. The plan is to build a space station orbiting the Moon – the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway. This space station will be developed together with the European Space Agency Esa, Russian Roscosmos, Japanese Jaxa and Canadian CSA.
SpaceX plan
The US space company SpaceX plans to send an unmanned rocket to Mars in 2022. This unmanned rocket will contain materials that will help astronauts to live on Mars. SpaceX wants to send a manned rocket to Mars two years later – in 2024.
Nobody knows if SpaceX succeeds with its plan. It is incredibly expensive for private companies to carry out such ambitious space projects, so many experts believe that they need the help of states to succeed.
Mars One plan
In 2012, the media organization Mars One received a lot of publicity when they stated that they would send people to Mars – and leave them there. The idea was that the project would be financed by filming a documentary about the trip and selling the TV rights to the world’s countries.
According to Mars One’s schedule, an unmanned spacecraft will be sent to Mars in 2020. Then manned vehicles will be sent there in 2024 and 2026. The project’s credibility has been severely criticized by many knowledgeable people as the project would be very expensive.
