• Question: Do you think that the human race will have set up a fully operational base on Mars by the end of this century?

    Asked by ebygum to Adam, Geoff, Rob, Sheila, Suzie on 14 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Robert Simpson

      Robert Simpson answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      We have 89 years left to try, so quite possibly. 89 years ago, people weren’t sure if you could even fly around the world in a plane so a lot can change in that time 🙂

    • Photo: Geoff McBride

      Geoff McBride answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      Easily but it will be a multinational effort

    • Photo: Adam Tuff

      Adam Tuff answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      The big question here is how much investment the governments of the world are willing to put into space travel – it takes about two years to travel to Mars with our current technology, which is a fairly long time, as well! I would like to think that by the middle of this century we will have the beginnings of a base on the moon – this will be important in going to Mars, as it will probably the the launch base for missions there – it takes a lot less fuel to take off from the Moon compared to the Earth! Hopefully we should have put a man on Mars by then!

    • Photo: Sheila Kanani

      Sheila Kanani answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      Oooo good question, especially with that time scope!

      I want to say yes, because I’d love to be part of the first team to Mars!

      I’ve chatted recently to a really old, but really prolific Moon professor who reckons that we can’t go to Mars until we can again visit the Moon, successfully. We just don’t have the technology right now! Also the main issue of going to Mars is getting back. We could possibly get to Mars, but we have no idea whether or not we could get back….this is a huge problem. No government would allow manned mission if it were a one way mission, because of the ethics and issues that would bring up. I know a lot of people would accept if offered a one way trip to Mars just because it would be truly amazing but a kamikaze style mission would never get the funding!
      However, you are giving us another 90 years, during which anything really is possible!

    • Photo: Suzie Sheehy

      Suzie Sheehy answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      I’m not sure to be honest, it really depends on the amount of money put into space exploration. One of the major (I believe) things standing in the way is the amount of radiation the astronauts would be exposed to on the way to Mars…
      That said, I really hope that we do, it would be such a great achievement of the human race!

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