Exploring Mars
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Approximately US$ 800 million.
Living on Mars
If we do establish a base on Mars, it will
have to be a self-contained structure
that protects its inhabitants from both
the atmosphere and the Sun’s radiation.
Below is an artist’s impression of
what a Martian
base might look like.
What’s happening now?
Two rovers,
Spirit
and
Opportunity
, have
been exploring the Martian surface since
2004. They have sent back a wealth of
data about the planet’s surface, including
plenty of evidence that there was once
water on Mars.
Cameras mounted on
masts give scientists
panoramic views of
the Martian surface.
The rover is
powered by
solar panels.
Nasa rover
Spirit
The future on Mars
Scientists are always searching for ways to
unlock the secrets of the red planet. Among
the ideas suggested are an aeroplane that
could travel across its surface (above left)
and a thermal probe that would penetrate
its ice caps (above right).
In order to explore
the potential of a
colony in space,
eight scientists
lived in a self-
contained dome,
Biosphere II
, for
two years during
the early 1990s.
This image shows a
9 mm (.35 in) hole in
Mars’ surface drilled and
photographed by
Spirit.
