Should we send humans to mars

some believe there is great value in sending humans to Mars for scientific exploration. NASA also considers Mars a key goal for human exploration because it may be one of the only other places in the solar system where life has existed.

However, NASA scientists have also reported that a mission to Mars may involve significant radiation risk. To live on Mars, humans would need technology to protect them from radiation, provide breathable air, and keep them warm. Scientists and engineers are exploring solutions like building underground habitats or using Martian soil for radiation shielding.

In 2023, NASA released the results of its Moon to Mars Architecture Concept Review, which is the agency’s process for creating a roadmap for solar system exploration.

Some believe sending humans to Mars for scientific exploration is valuable because it can help answer fundamental questions about life beyond Earth. Mars is the most Earth-like planet in the solar system and may have once been habitable.

Here are some reasons why some believe sending humans to Mars is valuable:

Search for life: Mars is one of the only places in the solar system where life may have existed. Evidence suggests that Mars was once warmer, had a thicker atmosphere, and was full of water.
Understand the planet’s evolution: Exploring Mars can help scientists learn about climate shifts that can alter planets.
Prepare for future human exploration: Sending humans to Mars can help prepare for future human exploration.
Test new technologies: Mars is an ideal place to test new technologies.
Lay the groundwork for future human exploration: Sending humans to Mars can help lay the groundwork for future human exploration.
Access new technologies and resources: Sending humans to Mars can provide access to new technologies and resources that are not available on Earth. NASA has a goal of sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. China also announced plans to send astronauts to Mars in 2033.

Some other scientific benefits of going to Mars include:

Learning about the planet’s history The age and composition of rocks on Mars can help geologists determine the planet’s history. The fact that Mars is dead means that things are preserved better than they would be on Earth.
Understanding the planet’s atmosphere The Mars Science Laboratory investigates the composition of rocks, soils, and land forms that might be linked with changes in the planet’s atmosphere over time.
Learning about how to survive on Mars Studying the rocks, soils, and key surface features on Mars can help us learn how to survive on the red planet.
Creating new technologies and research NASA believes that humans on Mars can study the planet’s geological evolution and look for signs of life. This could result in technology and research that benefits people on Earth.

Exploring Mars helps scientists learn about momentous shifts in climate that can fundamentally alter planets. It also lets us look for biosignatures, signs that might reveal whether life was abundant in the planet’s past—and if it still exists on Mars today

NASA’s four science goals for Mars exploration are:

Life: Determine whether life ever arose on Mars
Climate: Characterize the climate of Mars
Geology: Characterize the geology of Mars
Preparation for human exploration: Prepare for human exploration These four goals are linked by the topic of water, specifically its origin, nature, amount, and distribution over time. NASA’s goal for preparing for human exploration is to obtain knowledge of Mars that is sufficient to design and implement a sustained human presence at the Martian surface.

According to NASA, Curiosity has four main science goals in support of the agency’s Mars exploration program: Determine whether life ever arose on Mars. Characterize the climate of Mars. Characterize the geology of Mars

Here are some missions that have explored Mars:

Viking 1 and Viking 2: Both landed in 1976.
Pathfinder: Landed in 1997.
Spirit and Opportunity: Both landed in 2004.
Phoenix: Landed in 2008.
Curiosity: Landed in 2012.
InSight: Landed in 2018.
Perseverance: Landed in 2021.
Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM): Launched in 2013 and completed seven years in orbit in 2021.
Tianwen-1 and Zhurong: China’s Mars orbiter and rover.
Hope: The United Arab Emirates’ Mars mission.
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter: Maps Mars’ atmosphere.
MAVEN: Studies how Mars lost its atmosphere. There are also seven orbiters that survey the planet, including:
- Mars Odyssey
- Mars Express
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
- MAVEN
- The Trace Gas Orbiter
- The Hope Mars Mission
- The Tianwen-1 orbiter

Here are some discoveries made by explorers on Mars:

Evidence of water Mars rovers and orbiters have found evidence of water on Mars in the past. The Curiosity rover found rippled rock textures that suggest lakes existed in a region of ancient Mars.
Organic carbon The Curiosity rover found organic carbon in Mars rocks. It also found traces of organic molecules preserved in rock layers 3.5 billion years old.
Methane The Curiosity rover found that the amount of methane in the Martian atmosphere varies with the seasons.
Auroras Mars has auroras that wander close to the Martian surface and all around the planet.
Local magnetic fields Mars has a mosaic of local magnetic fields on its crust.

Martian systemFurther telescopic observations found two moons, Phobos and Deimos, polar ice caps and the feature now known as Olympus Mons, the Solar System’s tallest mountain. The discoveries piqued further interest in the study and exploration of the red planet

There are several reasons why humans might be sent to Mars, including:

Exploration Humans can study Mars’s geology and evolution, and search for signs of life. Mars is one of the only other places in the solar system where life may have existed.
Scientific research Humans can provide more in-depth research than rovers. Scientists expect that astronauts’ experience and flexibility will allow them to find special features faster than robots.
Preparation Humans can prepare for future exploration.
Colonization Humans could provide economic interest in Mars’s resources. SpaceX has stated that its goal is to colonize Mars to ensure the survival of the human species.
Life support Spacecraft exploration has shown that Mars has the resources necessary for life support. The soil could be used for radiation shielding and construction materials. Mars is also known as the Red Planet and is the fourth planet from the sun. It has two moons, Deimos and Phobos

Some say that humans are better suited for planetary exploration than robots. Humans are more adaptable to changing conditions and can perform a wider range of tasks than robots.

Here are some reasons why humans might be better suited for Mars exploration than robots:

Experience: Astronauts have more experience and flexibility than robots, which may allow them to find special features faster.
Adaptability: Astronauts can adapt to changing mission parameters, while rovers can only perform a small list of actions.
Complexity: Some studies are too complex for robots to perform.
Samples: Humans can bring samples back to Earth for further study.
Microgravity: Humans can help scientists study the effects of microgravity. However, some say that the technology doesn’t yet exist to send humans to Mars and sustain them while they’re there. A Mars mission would take about six months to get there, 12 months on the planet, and six months to return.

Space exploration has many benefits, including:

Scientific discoveries: Space exploration helps us understand the solar system and Earth, and can lead to new technologies. For example, researchers use the International Space Station to study disease formation, test drugs, and examine the human body.
Improved daily life: Space exploration has led to GPS, weather prediction, solar cells, and ultraviolet filters. Satellites also help planes navigate, provide internet access, and help first responders.
Inspiration: Space exploration inspires a new generation of artists, thinkers, engineers, and scientists.
Cooperation: Space exploration involves countries working together.
Health care: Space exploration can help cure diseases and prolong human lives.
Protecting the environment: Space exploration can help protect the planet and environment.
Creating jobs: Space exploration creates scientific and technical jobs.
Enhancing safety: Space exploration can enhance safety on Earth.

Benefits to HumanityTechnologies and missions we develop for human spaceflight have thousands of applications on Earth, boosting the economy, creating new career paths, and advancing everyday technologies all around us

According to NASA, a round-trip mission to Mars would take about two to three years, including time on the surface. However, some shorter mission plans could take as little as 15 months, but would require more energy.

China plans to send humans to Mars in 2033, while NASA aims to send astronauts there by the late 2030s or early 2040s.

Dr. Jordan Bretzfelder, who is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), shares her insights on the viability of sending humans to Mars and how we should do it. So, should we send humans to Mars?

Yes, I think there is immense value in sending humans to engage in scientific exploration on Mars,” Dr. Bretzfelder tells Universe Today. “Humans can make quick decisions about sampling and data acquisition and can move around certain obstacles and terrain with more ease and freedom than many types of robotic vehicles. This would also provide opportunities to study and develop technology to facilitate future planetary exploration