Despite the challenges, crewed Mars missions are on the horizon

National Geographic : Because Mars is one of the closest planets to Earth, it may be the next frontier for human exploration. However, it is some 55 million km away, and such a long journey through space poses numerous challenges, including designing a spacecraft that could shield the astronauts from cosmic rays, provide enough space to keep them comfortable, and store enough food and supplies. In addition, space’s zero gravity has a detrimental effect on human bone and muscle mass over time and causes the body to retain fluids in the brain and elsewhere. Nevertheless, some space agencies and private companies are planning future crewed missions to the Red Planet. Whereas NASA is working to send astronauts into orbit around Mars by the 2030s, Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, has set his sights on the ambitious goal of actually landing humans on the planet’s surface by 2024. This National Geographic article looks in depth at the current technology and costs and explores possible scenarios for colonizing Mars.