Do you think humans could one day land on Mars?

Answer 1

yes! Read Robert Zubrin's "The Case for Mars." It shows how a manned mission to Mars could be done within the next 8 years. Whether it will happen or not is down to politics and with the current space plan we should be putting humans on mars by the year 2030 but politics change so this may not happen. I strongly recommend reading that book though.

NASA actually is working on the space vehicle to take us there. I just left JPL and one of the projects we were working on was the Orion Spacecraft. This is going to replace the space shuttle and is being designed so that it can go to Low Earth Orbit (where the International Space Station is), to the Moon, and on to Mars. The European Space Agency is also proposing a manned mission to Mars. There is a lot to look out for in the near future. Wikipedia has a bit about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_spacecraft

Answer 2

The problem isn't getting to Mars. The real problem is getting back home again.

The trouble is that the right Mars/Earth alignment really only happens once every 2 years. So we can get to Mars when it is closest BUT by the time we get there, Earth will have moved well past Mars orbit and is too far away to get back.

The alternative is a very long trip to Mars and an equally long trip back again.

Answer 3

Yes I do, and here is a great article released recently that outlines some of NASA's possible plans. Enjoy!

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/26/219877/nasa-manned-mars-mission-details-emerge.html

Answer 4

i've been watching the science channel show Mars Rising and they say were gonna be there before at least 2040

Answer 5

Yes, some day. It is not so different from landing on the Moon, and that has been done already. It is different, but not SO different.