When will humans colonize Mars?

Answer 1

Colonizing Mars is possible. No one really disputes this.

However, there are three major hurdles for humanity to overcome in order to set up the first colonies.

The first hurdle is political. Colonizing Mars would be hugely expensive and few politicians are willing to get behind a bill that would suck up so much of their nation's gross national product. There is a lot of political resistance to space exploration. Many people think that the money would be better spent here on Earth.

The second hurdle is technological. Forget actually living on Mars, NASA isn't even set on a spaceship design that would get humans there alive. Travel time to Mars with current rocket technology is about 260 days. That's a long time to spend in space! Also, outside of Earth's protective magnetic field, radiation can get pretty intense. Even if the spaceship included a shielded room to run to in the case of radiation storms, there can be issues with keeping people in such close quarters for long periods of time. The voyage would be very perilous, and that's just an example of a single problem.

The third hurdle is a question of need. Despite popular belief, overpopulation is not a pressing danger on Earth, and many scientists estimate our planet could support some 12 billion inhabitants without too much trouble. Colonizing and ultimately teraforming another planet is such a financially imposing prospect that it probably will not be seriously considered unless there is a very real, immediate need for it.

The short answer: not for a long time. In the mean time, Ben Bova's "MARS" and the book "The Case for Mars" make excellent reading about human exploration of the Red Planet. Some people like the "Red Mars" series as well. I think that one is by Kim Stanley Robinson, but I didn't care for it too much.

- Cai

Answer 2

I'd say we'll have the first humans on Mars within 20-25 years or less, and the first self-sustaining actual 'colony' on Mars hopefully another 50 or so years after that. You actually don't need to ship everything. You will initially, but once the infrastructure is in place, Mars has all the resources necessary to support a growing and self-sustaining technological civilization.

Check out "The Case for Mars" by Robert Zubrin, everything you need to know about living on Mars is in that book. Also, check out the Mars Society website- http://www.marssociety.org/

Answer 3

the only way i can see humans even reaching another inhabitable planet is with anti-mater, with which a spaceship can get a few billion mpg, but it would take another 20,000 years for the people who make anti-mater to make a gallon, and we'd surely kill ourselves or be killed by then. We could find a way to use what we have to get to mars (the fuel used in the spaceship), which would take 6 years, and that's a problem because humans aren't very patent ( go to a crosswalk, and watch how many people press the light changing button more then 10 times). Or, we could simply take the easy way out and find a way to get to mars in a month or 2, and deplete the rest of the ozone with said new way while were at it.

Answer 4

We could of lived on the moon and Mars about 20 years ago. but think about it.

The world is divided. It is better that we first have a new world order so we dont go bombing each other then colonize mars.

so this probably wont happen for another 200 years

Answer 5

its not a real planet. it is really a giant space ship. to activate it you step on the nose of the face on mars. we will use it to take over the univer. i know because i seen it on invator zim last night. think about it.

Answer 6

Never. You'd have to ship everything you needed - too costly.