Mars, the fourth planet from the sun, is a dry, rocky and cold planet that NASA has investigated for years using several robots. Scientists want to investigate if humans can live on Mars, and if life has been sustained on Mars before. However, we are not capable of sending humans to Mars due to technological advances that we have not yet accomplished. 

For example, NASA needs to research food and water systems to fuel the astronauts on their nearly two-year journey because there will not be opportunities for supply missions. They also will need a renewable energy source to efficiently explore the Red Planet, as we do not currently have the capabilities to power a round trip to Mars. 

On the bright side, Mars is an end goal for a large number of scientific discoveries. By developing the capabilities to send humans to Mars, scientists will have discovered more efficient ways to produce energy, ways to plant food on other planets’ soil, and other technological advances such as radiation suits, improved propulsion systems, and ways to communicate from millions of miles away in less time. 

NASA is currently developing these capabilities that are necessary to send humans to Mars through the Artemis program, and hopefully, we will be able to investigate Mars firsthand starting in the 2030’s. By sending humans to Mars, we could potentially increase the amount of time humans spend alive as a species, and we can learn about the past and future of our solar system. Additionally, there are natural resources available on Mars, such as certain minerals, that are difficult to obtain on Earth. Exploring Mars and the possibility of humans living on Mars is exciting and important.