The audacious mission to land a man on Mars is an undertaking that has captured humanity’s imagination for decades.
Ever since NASA began exploring space, the Red Planet has been an object of study and fascination. Now, the idea of sending astronauts to Mars has become more than just a distant fantasy: it is a concrete and ambitious goal that has the potential to transform our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
Putting a human on Mars has a significant and far-reaching impact on humanity. This is because the mission would represent a historic milestone in space exploration.
This would be the culmination of humanity’s efforts to reach the unknown and expand our horizons beyond Earth. Just as man landed on the moon in 1969, an astronaut’s visit to Mars would mark a giant leap in this direction.
NASA is diligently working on plans for a manned mission to Mars. The US space agency recently stated that it aims to send astronauts to the Red Planet as early as the 2030s.
However, planning such a complex mission requires care and safety assurance, which could mean a possible extension of the deadline.
Problems on the way
Although the established deadline (2040) may seem distant in terms of time, for many experts and space exploration enthusiasts, the deadline set by NASA to carry out a manned mission to Mars is considered incredibly ambitious.
This is because the journey to the Red Planet presents a series of challenges and obstacles that need to be carefully faced and overcome before such a feat becomes a reality.
Artemis and Gateway Mission
The Artemis mission, led by NASA in partnership with other international space agencies, is a space program whose goal is to return humans to the Moon and, at the same time, pave the way for the exploration of Mars.
The program consists of a series of works that should establish a study center on the Moon, creating a basis for space exploration beyond.
The Gateway, also known as the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, is a crucial component of the Artemis program. It is a space station that will orbit the Moon, serving as a launching point for lunar missions and as a strategic stop on the journey to Mars.
The Gateway will be a flexible platform that will enable collaboration between astronauts, spacecraft and robots on lunar exploration missions.
The goal of setting foot on Mars before 2040 is considered “aggressive and audacious” even by NASA itself, as interplanetary exploration involves a series of technical, physical and scientific challenges. The lunar station, which is a vital component of NASA’s plans, must have its technologies extensively developed.
Traveling to Mars is a long journey, and astronauts would face extreme hardships, such as exposure to cosmic radiation and an inhospitable environment on the Red Planet.
So, even for the most optimistic, reaching Mars and observing from afar, without landing on the planet, may be possible within 17 years, but setting foot on the red soil will take longer.