Mars: How Will Humans Get There?
Mars — how to get there and maybe even live there — has been in the news a lot lately.
Governments and private industry around the world are discussing ways to get people to the so-called “Red Planet.”
In mid-October, U.S. President Barack Obama attended a science and technology conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He spoke of his love of the subject.
“I’m a science geek,” Obama said. “I don’t make any apologies for it.”
At the conference, the White House announced it is giving about $300 million to research and development — including money for the deep-space exploration project that supports the president’s Mars-related goals.
“Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars…”
Some scientists believe that the words of this popular Frank Sinatra song may come true one day, whereas others question whether a trip to Mars is possible without huge amounts of money from the government.
Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX. His company is working on designing transportation to Mars.
He used the social news site Reddit earlier this month to explain his plans to colonize Mars.
China is also working on its own mission to Mars. The country plans to land a rover vehicle on Mars by 2020.
