Will humans ever reach Mars?

Question

Do you think we will ever have the technology to reach Mars or further planets?

Answer 1

I don't think our arms will ever get that long....

Answer 2

Yes, specially now that water has been discovered on that planet, however i don´t foresee any human flight before 2050

Answer 3

yes by 2020

Answer 4

Mars - yes, anywhere else would take too long without some sort of hibernation...

Answer 5

I believe that we will one day reach Mars. We have the technology available, but not a perfect understanding of the means we have to get there and get there safely. Considering that at the CLOSEST times Mars is about 56,000,000 km (about 34,800,000 miles) away from us and the next planet, Jupiter, is about 62,900,000 km (390,700,000 miles) away with many more problems getting there, it's hard to say if we could succesfully go past Mars.  

Answer 6

So far, there's no good reason to undertake the expensive and risky journey.

We already have the technology. We lack the motivation.

Answer 7

Yes, and ultimately much further

Answer 8

yes in 2047... maybe

or 2051

or 2025

or 2020

or 2037

Answer 9

Yes.

Answer 10

Worked there for a while and managed to get there every day. It's in Slough Trading Estate.

Answer 11

Yes,eventually.

Answer 12

Yeah, they are thinking of doing one in like 5-7 years or so.

And, about the other [further] planets, one day maybe but not soon i think.

Answer 13

We have the technology to reach Mars right now but what we don't have is the understanding of how long term exposure to zero gravity and cosmic radiation will affect the body on the 7 or 8 month trip to Mars.

Answer 14

mankind will never set foot on mars because the world is going to end in 2012 and there just not enough time left we sat in the dark ages for too long thanks to the church

Answer 15

I think it depends more on politics than on technology level... I get bored from hearing that scientist celebrate new scout mission on Mars... I udnerstand a weight of their research... but it makes me think about it like it is a waste of time and making things harder that they could be... I think we are and we were ready to colonise Mars... The same as we are ready to travel space... But my thinking support idea of rather big spaceship than those little predicted cans... I also consider tripling elements to assure success of mission... taking all cargo without hoping to get some from planet after landing like food and water... Colonisation demands people with spirit and need to claim new home... It means sending people who want to settle there and are capable in training... Such mission reguire much effort... We can find few examples in History... Fact of getting there is a first and the easiest part... Creating self sufficient and permanent outpost refer to new city establishment.. Small group of people demnds less support to keep them alive but is less capable to provide and keep up with variety of needed work... I believe that colony base will prosper better if it will be started by large group of specialised people isntead of team of experts... Again I remind that the travel should be like getting on mother ship stationed on better launch position than Earth surface... Gravitation is a problem... Idea of building mother ship on Earth is like to try building ship under water without using shipyard... It would be great to use orbit but we would lack resources and again we dont have any true orbital base... Moon doesnt seem so great for colonisation but still it provide ground, some gravitation and serious resources... I think we should start colonisation by making wise steps... First Moon... then planet orbit (centrifugal force is the answer to provide artificial gravitation)... Mars should stay farer in ambition... Fact of being a good field for colonisation dont make up for travel dificulty... And... I know some terrible weakness that scientists didnt overcome yet... Current style of spcae travel reminds more a jumping than free movement... Secret is in word balance... I think they can discover it if they will finally concentrate on pursuit the colonisation instead of constant probing the space for answers... Its much easier to know land when you live in there than you visit it from time to time... I cant properly answer the main question... Simple yes seems as the best but it is possible that missing the chance and slowign down can postpone the idea for more than years... I think I would faint from laughing if we found that some other inteligent beings colonised planets before us from our constant hesitation... Not from fact of being there from like from forever but from latest time when our scientist played with scouting isntead of claiming new lands... If only governments were in better position to support such aim... If only the economy was more creative instead of blinding in wealth... If only civilisation was capable to rise above little planet inhabitants... but... hmmm... Maybe some organisation can acomplish such goal... I think it would provide nice power... or maybe it is a fear of some government... or their greed... We will see... or not...

Answer 16

im eating one right now

Answer 17

Yes, humans can do anything

GO US!!!

Answer 18

Humans landing on Mars isn't that far away from being achieved. We have the technology, we have pretty much all the knowledge we need to launch, we just need some government funding for the program. There have been previous planned trips to the red planet, such as "Mars direct", but the program was dropped because the government stopped funding. And with this economy I don't think we will see any human trips to Mars until we get this economy under control. Public and government support is a huge thing for NASA. If the public doesn't support it, then the government won't either.

The main problem with the Mars missions is the time it takes to get to the planet. We can launch at a time when Mars will come close to cut down the time, but we're still talking months for a trip TO the planet as opposed to only days to take a trip to the moon. The psychological effects are a HUGE problem NASA needs to deal with. Imagine being away from not just humanity, but also Earth itself for months, flying with 5+ people in the voids of space, getting to a point where both your destination and your starting point need to be pointed out to you through a small glass window. We are talking extreme cabin fever here. I don't think there will be any violence, but I do think that being locked in this space ship will endanger the crew. People don't think straight, and not concentrating 100 percent on a mission like this leads to disaster.

Another problem is the pay load. We have to pack enough oxygen, food, water and supplies for at least a year's length and that will weigh the ship down a lot. It won't matter so much in space, but it will matter during takeoff.

I think we are close to a mission, but there are still some problems we need to solve before we launch a man to another planet.

Answer 19

Barring a total annihilation of the human race, we will reach Mars, the rest of the planets, the far reaches of our galaxy, and even other galaxies. What people don't seem to realize is that space exploration is really exactly the same as exploration of earth. When we were all stuck in Afro-Eurasia (excluding natives of the Americas) we had to wait for the technology to arrive allowing us to safely cross the Atlantic. After that, we explored what we could until we discovered Antarctica, and as soon as the technology came along for that, we went there. We then developed mapping technologies which allowed us to electronically map the entire globe, discovering hundreds of ocean islands which were previously unheard of. Then came space, and shortly thereafter the Moon. Just because it's in space, doesn't mean it's not the same concept. It was just a waiting game for technology. Someone below me said we have the technology to go to the Mars, well, he's being redundant, because we do not have the technology to go there safely, and that's what we need. We do not have the technology to guarantee a safe flight and arrival with humans on board. We will develop it however, but before we use it we will most likely colonize the moon, which we do have the technology for, but not the willingness to spend the money at the moment. Again, keep in mind I am barring an annihilation of the human race, obviously, through either meteor strike, highly advanced global warming, or other method. My estimate based on previous rates of exploration and technology advancement is that we will colonize a small sector of the Moon for government personnel 30 to 50 years from now, and for civilian living 120 to 170 years from now. I would estimate humans reaching Mars 40 to 70 years from now, government colonization 150 to 200 years from now, and civilian colonization 250 to 400 years from now. I would estimate reaching Pluto 1,000 to 1,700 years from now, and Mercury (which actually would be much more difficult due to its very close proximity to the Sun - but just like we will need to develop highly advanced heating technology to reach Pluto, we will need highly advanced coolant systems to reach Mercury) 1,500 to 2,000 years from now. I would estimate government colonization on all planets plus Pluto (concluding with Mercury again) at 2,500 to 4,000 years, and civilian colonization at 5,000 to 10,000 years. Reaching a planet or similar object outside of the Solar System I actually would estimate ahead of civilian colonization on all planets, at 4,000 to 8,000 years from now, government colonization outside of the Solar System 10,000 to 15,000 years, and civilian colonization 20,000 to 30,000 years. At this point, I would expect development of technology to speed up rapidly for reasons similar to why they are today. I would estimate us reaching another galaxy 100,000 years from now (most likely the Andromeda Galaxy), another galaxy cluster 200,000 years from now, with exploration at this point branching out rapidly due to the massive area humans would have spread out into, and yes, we would all still be communicating intelligently with other human civilizations light years away (that is to say humans still remaining on Earth could contact humans living in a completely different galaxy cluster as easily as an American can contact a Chinese person today). On a final note, if it turns out as many suspect that there are more than one Universes in the theoretical Multiverse, I would estimate reaching another Universe 1 Million years from now. In conclusion, it is my firm belief that we will not only reach Mars, but we will in fact at some point envelope the entire Universe and, if it is physically possible, beyond.

Answer 20

yes, yes and YES.

Answer 21

Eventually - but because of our Earth bound problems and short sighted leadership, coupled with the general laziness and scientific illiteracy of most Americans, this will be delayed by so many decades that it will not happen in this century.

Sadly - we will all likely be dead before this can be achieved.

Study Science - Make the future happen, sooner!

Answer 22

Yes, but the real question is "when".