Human mission to Mars - Wikipedia Human mission to Mars `` Man on Mars '' redirects here. For the song, see Man on Mars ( song ). Concept for Mars base with Ice Dome, Pressurized rover, and Marsuits Rendition of person in a spacesuit on Mars Spacecraft for transporting crew to Mars SpaceX Falcon Heavy, with more launch capacity than the Space Shuttle, was used to send a test payload beyond the orbit of Mars in early 2018 A human mission to Mars has been the subject of science fiction, aerospace engineering, and scientific proposals since the 19th century. The plans comprise proposals to land on Mars, eventually settling on and terraforming the planet, while utilizing its moons, Phobos and Deimos. The exploration of Mars has been a goal of national space programs for decades. Preliminary work for missions that would involve human explorers has been undertaken since the 1950s, with planned missions typically being stated as taking place 10 to 30 years in the future when they are drafted. The list of manned Mars mission plans in the 20th century shows the various mission proposals that have been put forth by multiple organizations and space agencies in this field of space exploration. In the 2010s, numerous Chinese, European and American agencies were developing proposals for human missions to Mars. They are now developing and testing the technologies. Mars in fiction is a frequent target of exploration and settlement in books, graphic novels, and films. Contents 1 Travel to Mars 2 Challenges 2.1 Logistical 2.2 Physical 2.3 Planetary protection 3 Mission proposals 3.1 20th century 3.1. 1 Wernher von Braun proposal ( 1947 through 1950s ) 3.1. 2 U.S. proposals ( 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s ) 3.1. 3 Soviet mission proposals ( 1956 through 1969 ) 3.1. 4 Case for Mars ( 1981 -- 1996 ) 3.1. 5 NASA Space Exploration Initiative ( 1989 ) 3.1. 6 Mars Direct ( early 1990s ) 3.1. 7 International Space University ( 1991 ) 3.1. 8 NASA Design reference missions ( 1990s ) 3.2 21st century 3.2. 1 NASA Design reference missions ( 2000 + ) 3.2. 2 MARPOST ( 2000 -- 2005 ) 3.2. 3 ESA Aurora programme ( 2001 + ) 3.2. 4 ESA / Russia plan ( 2002 ) 3.2. 5 USA Vision for Space Exploration ( 2004 ) 3.2. 6 Mars Society Germany -- European Mars Mission ( EMM ) ( 2005 ) 3.2. 7 China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) ( 2006 ) 3.2. 8 The One - Way Trip Option ( 2006 ) ; Mars to Stay ( 2006 ) 3.2. 9 NASA Design Reference Mission 5.0 ( 2007 ) 3.2. 10 NASA Design Reference Mission Architecture 5.0 ( 2009 ) 3.2. 11 NASA Austere Human Missions to Mars ( 2009 ) 3.2. 12 USA 's Mars orbit by the mid-2030s ( 2010 ) 3.2. 13 Martian Frontier ( 2007 -- 2011 ) 3.2. 14 Russian mission proposals ( 2011 ) 3.2. 15 2 - 4 - 2 concept ( 2011 -- 2012 ) 3.2. 16 Conceptual Space Vehicle Architecture for Human Exploration of Mars ( 2012 ) 3.2. 17 Mars One ( 2012 ) 3.2. 18 Inspiration Mars Foundation ( 2013 ) 3.2. 19 Boeing Affordable Mission ( 2014 ) 3.2. 20 NASA 's Journey to Mars : Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration ( 2015 ) 3.2. 21 SpaceX Mars transportation infrastructure ( 2016 -- 17 ) 3.2. 21.1 ITS launch vehicle 3.2. 21.2 BFR ( Big Falcon Rocket ) 3.2. 22 Mars Base Camp ( 2016 ) 3.2. 23 Deep Space Transport ( 2017 ) 4 Current intentions by nations and space agencies 5 Technological innovations and hurdles 6 Precursor missions 6.1 Manned flyby 6.2 Missions to Deimos or Phobos 6.3 Mars sample return missions 6.4 Crewed orbital missions 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links Travel to Mars Three views of planet Mars, the `` red planet '' Closest approaches of Mars to Earth, 2014 -- 2061. Communication times are slightly shorter when it is closest. The energy needed for transfer between planetary orbits, or `` ∆ V '', is lowest at intervals fixed by the synodic period. For Earth / Mars trips, this is every 26 months ( 2 years and 2 months ), so missions are typically planned to coincide with one of these launch windows. The energy needed in the low - energy windows varies on roughly a 15 - year cycle with the easiest windows needing only half the energy of the peaks. In the 20th century, there was a minimum in the 1969 and 1971 launch windows and another low in 1986 and 1988, then the cycle repeated. Several types of mission plans have been proposed, such as the opposition class and conjunction class, or the Crocco flyby. The lowest energy transfer to Mars is a Hohmann transfer orbit ; a mission to Mars using Hohmann transfer involves an approximately 9 month travel time from Earth to Mars, about five hundred days at Mars to wait for the transfer window to Earth, and a Hohmann transfer of about 9 months to return to Earth. Shorter Mars mission plans have round - trip flight times of 400 to 450 days, but requiring a higher energy. A fast Mars mission of 245 days round trip could be possible with on - orbit staging. In 2014 ballistic capture was proposed, which may reduce fuel cost and provide more flexible launch windows compared to the Hohmann. In the Crocco grand tour, a crewed spacecraft would get a flyby of Mars and Venus for under a year in space. Some flyby mission architectures can also be extended to include a style of Mars landing with a flyby excursion lander spacecraft. Proposed by R. Titus in 1966, it involved extending a flyby mission with a short stay lander. Basically, a short stay lander - ascent vehicle would separate from a `` parent '' Earth - Mars transfer prior to its flyby of Mars. The Ascent - Descent lander would arrive sooner and either go into orbit around Mars or land, and depending on the design offer perhaps 10 -- 30 days before it needed to launch itself back to the main transfer vehicle. ( see also Mars flyby ). Challenges Logistical The estimated cost of sending humans to Mars is roughly 500 billion U.S. dollars, though the actual costs are likely to be more. The largest limiting factor for sending humans to Mars is funding. In the late 1950s, rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States stimulated a national priority to send humans to the Moon. Under the current global geopolitical climate, however, government funding of these programs has decreased. Recent participation of private companies in space travel and participation by new nations such as India may present new opportunities. Critics argue the immediate benefits of establishing a human presence on Mars are more esoteric than practical. Yet proponents of human space exploration contend that while the short term benefits will be academic, the symbolism of establishing a presence in space may garner public interest to join the cause and spark global cooperation. Furthermore, experts maintain that a long - term investment will be necessary for humanity 's survival. Physical Comparison of radiation doses -- includes the amount detected on the trip from Earth to Mars by the RAD inside the MSL ( 2011 -- 2013 ). Vertical axis is in logarithmic scale, so the dose over a Mars year is about 15 times the DOE limit, not less than twice, as a quick glance might suggest. The actual dose would depend on factors such as spacecraft design and natural events such as Solar flares. There are several key physical challenges for human missions to Mars : Health threat from cosmic rays and other ionizing radiation. In May 2013, NASA scientists reported that a possible mission to Mars may involve great radiation risk based on energetic particle radiation measured by the RAD on the Mars Science Laboratory while traveling from the Earth to Mars in 2011 -- 2012. The calculated radiation dose was 0.66 sieverts round - trip. The agency 's career radiation limit for astronauts is 1 sievert. In September 2017, NASA reported radiation levels on the surface of the planet Mars were temporarily doubled, and were associated with an aurora 25 - times brighter than any observed earlier, due to a massive, and unexpected, solar storm in the middle of the month. Artistic vision of spacecraft providing artificial gravity by spinning. ( see also Centrifugal force ) Negative effects of a prolonged weightlessness environment on human health, including eyesight visual impairment. ( Depends on mission and spacecraft design ). Psychological effects of isolation from Earth and, by extension, the lack of community due to impossibility of real - time connections with Earth. ( Compare Hermit ). Social effects of several humans living under cramped conditions for more than one Earth year, possibly two or three years, on the mission to Mars, and a comparable length of time on the return to Earth. ( Depends on spacecraft and mission design ). Inaccessibility of terrestrial medical facilities. Potential failure of propulsion or life - support equipment. Some of these issues were estimated statistically in the HUMEX study. Ehlmann and others have reviewed political and economic concerns, as well as technological and biological feasibility aspects. While fuel for roundtrip travel could be a challenge, methane and oxygen can be produced using Martian H O ( preferably as water ice instead of liquid water ) and atmospheric CO with mature technology. Planetary protection See also : Planetary protection Robotic spacecraft to Mars are required to be sterilized, to have at most 300,000 spores on the exterior of the craft -- and more thoroughly sterilized if they contact `` special regions '' containing water, as otherwise there is a risk of contaminating not only the life - detection experiments but possibly the planet itself. It is impossible to sterilize human missions to this level, as humans are host to typically a hundred trillion microorganisms of thousands of species of the human microbiota, and these can not be removed while preserving the life of the human. Containment seems the only option, but it is a major challenge in the event of a hard landing ( i.e. crash ). There have been several planetary workshops on this issue, but with no final guidelines for a way forward yet. Human explorers would also be vulnerable to back contamination to Earth if they become carriers of microorganisms. Mission proposals Main article : List of manned Mars mission plans 20th century Fuel is mined from Phobos with the help of a nuclear reactor. Over the last century, a number of mission concepts for such an expedition have been proposed. David Portree 's history volume Humans to Mars : Fifty Years of Mission Planning, 1950 -- 2000 discusses many of these. Wernher von Braun proposal ( 1947 through 1950s ) Wernher von Braun was the first person to make a detailed technical study of a Mars mission. Details were published in his book Das Marsprojekt ( 1952, published in English as The Mars Project in 1962 ) and several subsequent works. Willy Ley popularized a similar mission in English in the book The Conquest of Space ( 1949 ), featuring illustrations by Chesley Bonestell. Von Braun 's Mars project envisioned nearly a thousand three - stage vehicles launching from Earth to ferry parts for the Mars mission to be constructed at a space station in Earth orbit. The mission itself featured a fleet of ten spacecraft with a combined crew of 70 heading to Mars, bringing three winged surface excursion ships that would land horizontally on the surface of Mars. ( Winged landing was considered possible because at the time of his proposal, the Martian atmosphere was believed to be much denser than was later found to be the case. ) In the 1956 revised vision of the Mars Project plan, published in the book The Exploration of Mars by Wernher Von Braun and Willy Ley, the size of the mission was trimmed, requiring only 400 launches to put together two ships, still carrying a winged landing vehicle. Later versions of the mission proposal, featured in the Disney `` Man In Space '' film series, showed nuclear - powered ion - propulsion vehicles for the interplanetary cruise. US proposals ( 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s ) Artist 's conception of the Mars Excursion Module ( MEM ) proposed in a NASA study in 1963. Crew wear Mars suits on surface EVA from the module. In 1962, Aeronutronic Ford, General Dynamics and the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company made studies of Mars mission designs as part of NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center `` Project EMPIRE ''. These studies indicated that a Mars mission ( possibly including a Venus fly - by ) could be done with a launch of eight Saturn V boosters and assembly in low Earth orbit, or possibly with a single launch of a hypothetical `` post Saturn '' heavy - lift vehicle. Although the EMPIRE missions were only studies, and never proposed as funded projects, these were the first detailed analyses of what it would take to accomplish a human voyage to Mars using data from actual NASA spaceflight, and laid much of the basis for future studies, including significant mission studies by TRW, North American, Philco, Lockheed, Douglas, and General Dynamics, along with several in - house NASA studies. Following the success of the Apollo Program, von Braun advocated a manned mission to Mars as a focus for NASA 's manned space program. Von Braun 's proposal used Saturn V boosters to launch nuclear - powered ( NERVA ) upper stages that would power two six - crew spacecraft on a dual mission in the early 1980s. The proposal was considered by ( then president ) Richard Nixon but passed over in favor of the Space Shuttle. In 1975, von Braun discussed the mission architecture that emerged from these Apollo - era studies in a recorded lecture and while doing so suggested that multiple Shuttle launches could instead be configured to lift the two Nuclear Thermal Rocket engine equipped spacecrafts in smaller parts, for assembly in - orbit. Soviet mission proposals ( 1956 through 1969 ) Main articles : Martian Piloted Complex and TMK The Martian Piloted Complex or `` ' MPK ' '' was a proposal by Mikhail Tikhonravov of the Soviet Union for a manned Mars expedition, using the ( then proposed ) N - 1 rocket, in studies from 1956 to 1962. The Soviets sent many probes to Mars with some noted success stories including Mars atmospheric entry, but the ratio was low and their space program struggled through disasters like the lost Salyut 1 crew and explosions of their N - 1 rocket ( see Mars 3 ) Heavy Interplanetary Spacecraft ( known by the Russian acronym TMK ) was the designation of a Soviet Union space exploration proposal in the 1960s to send a manned flight to Mars and Venus ( TMK - MAVR design ) without landing. The TMK spacecraft was due to launch in 1971 and make a three - year - long flight including a Mars fly - by at which time probes would have been dropped. The project was never completed because the required N1 rocket never flew successfully. The Mars Expeditionary Complex, or `` ' MEK '' ' ( 1969 ) was another Soviet proposal for a Mars expedition that would take a crew from three to six to Mars and back with a total mission duration of 630 days. Case for Mars ( 1981 -- 1996 ) Following the Viking missions to Mars, between 1981 and 1996 a series of conferences named The Case for Mars were held at the University of Colorado at Boulder. These conferences advocated human exploration of Mars, presented concepts and technologies, and held a series of workshops to develop a baseline concept for the mission. The baseline concept was notable in that it proposed use of in - situ resource utilization to manufacture rocket propellant for the return trip using the resources of Mars. The mission study was published in a series of proceedings volumes published by the American Astronautical Society. Later conferences in the series presented a number of alternative concepts, including the `` Mars Direct '' concept of Robert Zubrin and David Baker ; the `` Footsteps to Mars '' proposal of Geoffrey A. Landis, which proposed intermediate steps before the landing on Mars, including human missions to Phobos ; and the `` Great Exploration '' proposal from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, among others. NASA space exploration initiative ( 1989 ) Main article : Space Exploration Initiative Artist 's conception of a human mission on the surface of Mars 1989 painting by Les Bossinas of Lewis Research Center for NASA In response to a presidential initiative, NASA made a study of a project for human lunar - and Mars exploration as a proposed follow - on to the International Space Station project. This resulted in a report, called the 90 - day study, in which the agency proposed a long - term plan consisting of completing the Space Station as `` a critical next step in all our space endeavors, '' returning to the moon and establishing a permanent base, and then sending astronauts to Mars. This report was widely criticized as too elaborate and expensive, and all funding for human exploration beyond Earth orbit was canceled by Congress. Mars Direct ( early 1990s ) Main article : Mars Direct Because of the greater distance, the Mars mission would be much more risky and expensive than past Moon flights. Supplies and fuel would have to be prepared for a 2 - 3 year round trip and the spacecraft would need at least partial shielding from ionizing radiation. A 1990 paper by Robert Zubrin and David A. Baker, then of Martin Marietta, proposed reducing the mission mass ( and hence the cost ) by using in situ resource utilization to manufacture propellant from the Martian Atmosphere. This proposal drew on concepts developed by the former `` Case for Mars '' conference series. Over the next decade, Zubrin developed it into a mission concept, Mars Direct, which he presented in a book, The Case for Mars ( 1996 ). The mission is advocated by the Mars Society, which Zubrin founded in 1998, as practical and affordable. International space University ( 1991 ) In 1991 in Toulouse, France, the International Space University studied an international human Mars mission. They proposed a crew of 8 traveling to Mars in a nuclear - powered vessel with artificial gravity provided by rotation. On the surface, 40 tonne habitats pressurized to 10 psi ( 69 kPa ) were powered by a 40 kW photovoltaic array. NASA design reference missions ( 1990s ) Main article : Mars Design Reference Mission NASA Mars habitat concept for DRA 1.0, derived from the Mars Direct Architecture. ( 1995 ) In the 1990s NASA developed several conceptual level human Mars exploration architectures. One of these was NASA Design reference mission 3.0 ( DRM 3.0 ) to stimulate further thought and concept development. Selected other US / NASA studies ( 1988 -- 2009 ) : 1988 `` Mars Expedition '' 1989 `` Mars Evolution '' 1990 `` 90 - Day Study '' 1991 `` Synthesis Group '' 1995 `` DRM 1 '' 1997 `` DRM 3 '' 1998 `` DRM 4 '' 1999 `` Dual Landers '' 21st century Crew members setting up weather monitoring equipment on the surface of Mars ( artist 's concept ) NASA design reference missions ( 2000 + ) The NASA Mars Design Reference Missions consisted of a series of conceptual design studies for human Mars missions, continued in the 21st century Selected other US / NASA plans ( 1988 -- 2009 ) : 2000 SERT ( SSP ) 2001 DPT / NEXT 2002 NEP Art. Gravity 2009 DRA 5 MARPOST ( 2000 -- 2005 ) The Mars Piloted Orbital Station ( or MARPOST ) is a Russian proposed manned orbital mission to Mars, using a nuclear reactor to run an electric rocket engine. Proposed in October 2000 by Yuri Karash from the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics as the next step for Russia in space along with the Russian participation in the International Space Station, a 30 - volume draft project for MARPOST was confirmed as of 2005. Design for the ship was proposed to be ready in 2012, and the ship itself in 2021. ESA Aurora programme ( 2001 + ) Main article : Aurora programme Artwork featuring astronauts enduring a Mars dust storm near a rover The European Space Agency had a long - term vision of sending a human mission to Mars in 2033. Laid out in 2001, the project 's proposed timeline would begin with robotic exploration, a proof of concept simulation of sustaining humans on Mars, and eventually a manned mission ; however, objections from the participating nations of ESA and other delays have put the timeline into question. Nevertheless, a spawn of this programme, ExoMars, delivered an orbiter to Mars in 2016 ESA / Russia plan ( 2002 ) Another proposal for a joint ESA mission with Russia is based on two spacecraft being sent to Mars, one carrying a six - person crew and the other the expedition 's supplies. The mission would take about 440 days to complete with three astronauts visiting the surface of the planet for a period of two months. The entire project would cost $20 billion and Russia would contribute 30 % of these funds. Usa vision for space exploration ( 2004 ) Main article : Vision for Space Exploration Project Constellation included an Orion Mars Mission. ( Then United States President ) George W. Bush announced an initiative of manned space exploration on January 14, 2004, known as the Vision for Space Exploration. It included developing preliminary plans for a lunar outpost by 2012 and establishing an outpost by 2020. Precursor missions that would help develop the needed technology during the 2010 -- 2020 decade were tentatively outlined by Adringa and others. On September 24, 2007, Michael Griffin, then NASA Administrator, hinted that NASA may be able to launch a human mission to Mars by 2037. The needed funds were to be generated by diverting $11 billion from space science missions to the vision for human exploration. NASA has also discussed plans to launch Mars missions from the Moon to reduce traveling costs. Mars Society Germany -- European Mars mission ( emm ) ( 2005 ) The Mars Society Germany proposed a manned Mars mission using several launches of an improved heavy - lift version of the Ariane 5. Roughly 5 launches would be required to send a crew of 5 on a 1200 days mission, with a payload of 120,000 kg ( 260,000 lb ). Total project was estimated to cost 10 to 15 billion Euros. China national space Administration ( cnsa ) ( 2006 ) Main article : Chinese space program § Mission to Mars and beyond Sun Laiyan, administrator of the China National Space Administration, said on July 20, 2006 that China would start deep space exploration focusing on Mars over the next five years, during the Eleventh Five - Year Plan ( 2006 -- 2010 ) Program period. The first uncrewed Mars exploration program could take place between 2014 -- 2033, followed by a crewed phase in 2040 -- 2060 in which crew members would land on Mars and return home. The Mars 500 study of 2011 prepared for this manned mission. The one - way trip option ( 2006 ) ; Mars to stay ( 2006 ) Main article : Mars to Stay The idea of a one - way trip to Mars has been proposed several times. Space activist Bruce Mackenzie, for example, proposed a one - way trip to Mars in a presentation `` One Way to Mars -- a Permanent Settlement on the First Mission '' at the 1998 International Space Development Conference, arguing that since the mission could be done with less difficulty and expense without a return to Earth, the first mission to Mars should be a settlement, not a visit. In 2006, former NASA engineer James C. McLane III proposed a scheme to initially colonize Mars via a one - way trip by only one human. Papers discussing this concept appeared in The Space Review, Harper 's Magazine, SEARCH Magazine and The New York Times. Former Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin is a particularly outspoken promoter who has suggested in numerous forums `` Forget the Moon, Let 's Head to Mars ! '' In June 2013, Aldrin wrote an opinion, published in The New York Times, supporting a manned mission to Mars and which viewed the moon `` not as a destination but more a point of departure... '' In August 2015, Aldrin, in association with the Florida Institute of Technology, presented a `` master plan '' for NASA consideration proposing astronauts with a `` tour of duty of ten years '' colonize Mars before the year 2040. NASA design reference mission 5.0 ( 2007 ) NASA released initial details of the latest version conceptual level human Mars exploration architecture in this presentation. The study further developed concepts developed in previous NASA DRM and updated it to more current launchers and technology. NASA design reference mission architecture 5.0 ( 2009 ) Concept for NASA 's Design Reference Mission Architecture 5.0 ( 2009 ) NASA released an updated version of NASA DRM 5.0 in early 2009, featuring use of the Ares V launcher, Orion CEV, and updated mission planning. In this document. NASA Austere Human Missions to Mars ( 2009 ) Extrapolated from the DRMA 5.0, plans for a manned Mars expedition with chemical propulsion. Austere Human Missions to Mars Usa 's Mars orbit by the mid-2030s ( 2010 ) In a major space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center on April 15, 2010, former U.S. President Barack Obama predicted a manned Mars mission to orbit the planet by the mid-2030s, followed by a landing : By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it. The United States Congress has mostly approved a new direction for NASA that includes canceling Bush 's planned return to the Moon by 2020 and instead proposes asteroid exploration in 2025 ( Asteroid Redirect Mission ) and orbiting Mars in the 2030s. The Asteroid Redirect Mission was cancelled in June 2017 and `` closed out '' in September of the same year. Martian frontier ( 2007 -- 2011 ) Mars 500, the longest high fidelity spaceflight simulation, ran from 2007 to 2011 in Russia and was an experiment to assess the feasibility of manned missions to mars. Russian mission proposals ( 2011 ) A number of Mars mission concepts and proposals have been put forth by Russian scientists. Stated dates were for a launch sometime between 2016 and 2020. The Mars probe would carry a crew of four to five cosmonauts, who would spend close to two years in space. In late 2011, Russian and European space agencies successfully completed the ground - based MARS - 500. The biomedical experiment simulating manned flight to Mars was completed in Russia in July 2000. 2 - 4 - 2 concept ( 2011 -- 2012 ) In 2011, Jean - Marc Salotti published a new proposal for a manned Mars mission, with a release in 2012. The 2 - 4 - 2 concept is based on a reduction of the crew size to only 2 astronauts and the duplication of the entire mission. There are 2 astronauts in each space vehicle, there are 4 on the surface of Mars and there are 2 once again in each return vehicle. In addition, at every step of the mission, there are 2 astronauts ready to help the 2 others ( 2 for 2 ). This architecture simplifies the entry, descent and landing procedures, which are known to be very risky, thanks to a significant reduction of the size of the landing vehicles. It also avoids the assembly of huge vehicles in LEO. The author claims that his proposal is much cheaper than the NASA reference mission without compromising the risks and can be undertaken before 2030. Conceptual space vehicle architecture for human exploration of Mars ( 2012 ) In 2012, Conceptual Space Vehicle Architecture for Human Exploration of Mars, with Artificial Gravity and Mini-Magnetosphere Crew Radiation Shield was released, laying out a possible design for a human Mars mission. Components of the architecture include various spacecraft for the Earth - to - Mars journey, landing, and surface stay as well as return. Some features include a several unmanned cargo landers assembled into a base on the surface of Mars. The crew would land at this base in the `` Mars Personnel Lander '', which could also take them back into Mars orbit. The design for the manned interplanetary spacecraft included artificial - gravity and an artificial magnetic field. Overall, the architecture was modular and to allow for incremental R&D. Mars one ( 2012 ) Main article : Mars One In 2012, a Dutch entrepreneur group began raising funds for a human Mars base to be established in 2023. The mission is intended to be primarily a settlement mission with no return trip to Earth planned. Astronaut applications were invited from the public all over the world. The initial plan included an orbiter and demonstration lander in 2018, followed by a rover in 2020, and the base components in 2024. Mars One suggested it could use a SpaceX Heavy rocket to launch flight hardware. The first crew of four astronauts were to land on Mars in 2025. Then, every two years, a new crew of four would arrive. The entire mission is to be filmed and broadcast as a media event. Revenues from broadcasting would help fund the program. In April 2015, Mars One 's CEO Bas Lansdorp admitted that their 12 - year plan for landing humans on Mars by 2027 is mostly fiction. Inspiration Mars Foundation ( 2013 ) Main article : Inspiration Mars Foundation In 2013, the Inspiration Mars Foundation founded by Dennis Tito revealed plans of a manned mission to fly by Mars in 2018 with support from NASA. NASA refused to fund the mission. Boeing Affordable mission ( 2014 ) On December 2, 2014, NASA 's Advanced Human Exploration Systems and Operations Mission Director Jason Crusan and Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs James Reuthner announced tentative support for the Boeing `` Affordable Mars Mission Design '' including radiation shielding, centrifugal artificial gravity, in - transit consumable resupply, and a lander which can return. Reuthner suggested that if adequate funding was forthcoming, the proposed mission would be expected in the early 2030s. NASA 's journey to Mars : pioneering next Steps in space exploration ( 2015 ) Artist 's rendering of a Block 1 SLS This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( January 2018 ) On October 8, 2015, NASA published its official plan for human exploration and colonization of Mars. The plan operates through three distinct phases leading up to fully sustained colonization. The first stage, already underway, is the `` Earth Reliant '' phase. This phase continues using the International Space Station until 2024 ; validating deep space technologies and studying the effects of long duration space missions on the human body. The second stage, `` Proving Ground, '' moves away from Earth reliance and ventures into cislunar space for most of its tasks. This is when NASA planned the now cancelled Asteroid Redirect Mission ( for 2020 ), test deep space habitation facilities, and validate capabilities required for human exploration of Mars. Finally, phase three is the transition to independence from Earth resources. The `` Earth Independent '' phase includes long term missions on the lunar surface with surface habitats that only require routine maintenance, and the harvesting of Martian resources for fuel, water, and building materials. NASA is still aiming for human missions to Mars in the 2030s, though Earth independence could take decades longer. In November 2015, Administrator Bolden of NASA reaffirmed the goal of sending humans to Mars. He laid out 2030 as the date of a manned surface landing, and noted that planned 2020 Mars rover would support the human mission. Also discussed was the use of robotics to prepare an underground habitat for the arriving people. He noted the advantages of living underground on Mars, especially that it eliminates the need to construct above ground shielding. The underground base would be prepared in advance by an armada of robots. Top surface activity was not excluded however, just that the crew would `` probably live underground for the most part ''. SpaceX Mars transportation infrastructure ( 2016 -- 17 ) Main article : SpaceX Mars transportation infrastructure Since 2016, SpaceX publicly announced a comprehensive vision to begin the colonization of Mars, by proposing to develop a high - capacity transportation infrastructure. Its launch vehicle Main article : ITS launch vehicle In September 2016 at the International Astronautical Congress, Elon Musk announced the ITS launch vehicle design ( informally discussed earlier as the Mars Colonial Transporter ), that comprised a large reusable booster topped by a spaceship or a tanker for in - orbit refueling, as well as a propellant plant to be built on Mars, at a base referred to as Mars Base Alpha. The aspirational objective is to advance the technology and infrastructure such that the first humans to Mars could potentially depart as early as 2024. BFR ( big Falcon rocket ) Main article : BFR ( rocket ) On 29 September 2017, Elon Musk announced an updated vehicle design for the mars mission at the International Astronautical Congress. The replacement vehicle for this mission is called BFR ( Big Falcon Rocket ). BFR will provide the on - orbit activity like satellite delivery, servicing the International Space Station, Moon mission, as well as Mars mission. There are two phases for the human mission to Mars via BFR : In 2022, at least 2 BFR cargo vehicles will land on Mars. They will confirm water resources and identify hazards. They will place power, mining and life support infrastructure for future missions. In 2024, 2 BFR crew vehicles will take the first people to Mars. 2 BFR cargo vehicles will bring more equipment and supplies. They will place a propellant production plant. They will build up a base to prepare for expansion. Mars base Camp ( 2016 ) Mars Base Camp ( MBC ), an American spacecraft concept that proposes to send astronauts to Mars as early as 2028. The vehicle design, developed by Lockheed Martin, would utilize both future and heritage concepts as well as the Orion MPCV built by NASA. Deep space transport ( 2017 ) Deep Space Transport Main article : Deep Space Transport The Deep Space Transport ( DST ) is a spacecraft meant to be launched on top of NASA 's SLS launch vehicle in 2027. It was announced by NASA in March 2017. Plans at present predict it to dock with the Deep Space Gateway ( DSG ) station, which would be in cis - lunar space after its construction from 2021 to 2026 as a manned lunar space station, the first of its kind, in 2027. Current plans show it to be sent with a crew of 4 to Mars in 2033. It would not, however, land, but merely remain in Martian orbit until there is a launch window for a return. The mission is expected to take about 2 years if all missions in the DSG and DST from 2021 -- 2030 are successful. This mission would use only the SLS rocket for launches, with the Orion MPCV to be used as a spacecraft to transport the crew to and from the Earth and the DSG and DST. Current intentions by nations and space agencies Artist 's rendering of the planned Orion / DSH / Cryogenic Propulsion Module assembly. A number of nations and organizations have long - term intentions to send humans to Mars. The United States has robotic missions currently exploring Mars, with a sample - return planned for the future. The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle ( MPCV ) is intended to serve as the launch / splashdown crew delivery vehicle, with a Deep Space Habitat module providing additional living - space for the 16 - month - long journey. The first manned Mars Mission, which will include sending astronauts to Mars, orbiting Mars, and a return to Earth, is scheduled for the 2030s. Technology development for US government missions to Mars is underway, but there is no well - funded approach to bring the conceptual project to completion with human landings on Mars by the mid-2030s, the stated objective. NASA is under presidential orders to land humans on Mars by 2033, and NASA - funded engineers are studying a way to build potential human habitats there by producing bricks from pressurized Martian soil. The European Space Agency has a long - term goal to send humans but has not yet built a manned spacecraft. It has sent robotic probes like ExoMars in 2016 and plans to send the next probe in 2020. A Soyuz landing on Earth in 2015 India successfully placed an unmanned Mars Orbiter Mission ( also called Mangalyaan ) satellite in Mars orbit in 2014. ISRO plans a larger follow - up mission called Mangalyaan 2 between 2018 and 2020. This mission will likely consist of a lander and a Mars rover. No plans for an Indian human mission to Mars have been made public. Japan has sent one robotic mission to Mars in 1998, the Nozomi, but it failed to achieve Mars orbit. JAXA has proposed a rover mission called MELOS for an engineering demonstration of precision landing, and to look for possible biosignatures on Mars in 2020 or 2022. No plans for a Japanese human mission to Mars have been made public. China 's first attempted mission to Mars, the Yinghuo - 1 space probe, was lost with Russia 's sample return mission to Phobos, Fobos - Grunt in 2011 -- 2012. China plans to develop and launch an orbiter, lander and rover to Mars in July or August 2020 with a Long March 5 heavy lift rocket. A crewed phase is planned for the 2040 -- 2060 timeframe. Russia plans to send humans in the 2040 -- 2045 timeframe. Technological innovations and hurdles Depiction of plants growing in a Mars base. NASA plans to grow plants in space to help feed astronauts, in support of pioneering space. NASA has stated that robots will prepare an underground base for a human surface mission. Significant technological hurdles need to be overcome for human spaceflight to Mars. Entry into the thin and shallow Martian atmosphere will pose significant difficulties with re-entry and for a spacecraft of the weight needed to carry humans, along with life support, supplies and other equipment. Should a heat shield be used, it would need to be very large. Retro rockets could be used, but would add significant further weight. A return mission to Mars will need to land a rocket to carry crew off the surface. Launch requirements mean that this rocket would be significantly smaller than an Earth - to - orbit rocket. Mars - to - orbit launch can also be achieved in single stage. Despite this, landing an ascent rocket on Mars will be difficult. Reentry for a large rocket will be difficult. One of the medical supplies that may be needed is intravenous fluid, which is mostly water but contains other things so it can be added directly to the human blood stream. If it can be created on the spot from existing water then it could spare the weight of hauling earth - produced units, whose weight is mostly water. A prototype for this capability was tested on the International Space Station in 2010. While it is possible for humans to breathe pure oxygen, a pure oxygen atmosphere was implicated in the Apollo 1 fire. As such, Mars habitats may have a need for additional gases. One possibility is to take nitrogen and argon from the atmosphere of Mars ; however, they are hard to separate from each other. As a result, a Mars habitat may use 40 % argon, 40 % nitrogen, and 20 % oxygen. Another concept for breathing air is to use re-usable amine bead carbon dioxide scrubbers. While one carbon dioxide scrubber filters the astronaut 's air, the other is vented to the Mars atmosphere. Precursor missions Some missions may be considered a `` Mission to Mars '' in their own right, or they may only be one step in a more in - depth program. An example of this is missions to Mars ' moons, or flyby missions. Manned flyby An example of this is Inspiration Mars, which could be compared to the Manned Venus Flyby ( NASA ) mission proposal of the 1970s, but for Mars. Missions to Deimos or Phobos Many Mars mission concepts propose precursor missions to the moons of Mars, for example, a sample return mission to the Mars moon Phobos -- not quite Mars, but perhaps a convenient stepping stone to an eventual Martian surface mission. Lockheed Martin, as part of their `` Stepping stones to Mars '' project, called the `` Red Rocks Project '', proposed to explore Mars robotically from Deimos. Use of fuel produced from water resources on Phobos or Deimos has also been proposed. Mars sample return missions Artist concept of SCIM passing through the Martian atmosphere. This was a simpler sample return architecture that achieved being one of four semi-finalists in the 2002 Mars Scout selection. That mission slot was ultimately won by the Phoenix lander Sample return mission concept An unmanned Mars sample return mission ( MSR ) has sometimes been considered to be an essential precursor to crewed missions to Mars ' surface by the 21st century. The ESA noted that a sample return as being essential and could bridge the gap between robotic and human missions to Mars. An example of a Mars sample return mission is Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars. Mars sample return was the highest priority Flagship Mission proposed for NASA by the Planetary Decadal Survey 2013 -- 2022 : The Future of Planetary Science. However, such missions have been hampered by complexity and expense, with one ESA proposal involving no less than five different unmanned spacecraft. A difficulty in sample return plans is the concern that, however remote, something could be brought back that could infect life on the Earth. Regardless, a basic set of guidelines for extraterrestrial sample return have been laid out depending on the source of sample ( e.g. asteroid, Moon, Mars surface, etc. ) Hardware and mission parameters are designed following planetary protection protocols so mission concepts can proceed forward in an orderly way without causing undue concern over remote chances. The issue of sample protection is another factor that increases the difficulty of sample return, both to keep the sample from getting contaminated with Earth material or life, and achieving a rational approach to keeping the Mars sample from `` contaminating '' Earth. At the dawn of the 21st century, NASA crafted four potential pathways to Mars human missions. Of those four, three included a Mars sample return as a prerequisite to human landing, however one did not. Crewed Orbital missions Landis and Lupisella proposed to explore Mars via telepresence from human astronauts in orbit. A similar idea, was the proposed `` Human Exploration using Real - time Robotic Operations '' ( HERRO ) mission. Another proposed mission was the Russian Mars Piloted Orbital Station. See also Mars portal Spaceflight portal Artificial gravity Delta - vs between Earth, Moon and Mars Exploration of Mars Health threat from cosmic rays Human spaceflight Interplanetary spaceflight Life on Mars Mars analog habitat Mars Design Reference Mission Nuclear propulsion Space medicine Space weather References ^ Jump up to : David S.F. Portree, Humans to Mars : Fifty Years of Mission Planning, 1950 -- 2000, NASA Monographs in Aerospace History Series, Number 21, February 2001. Available as NASA SP - 2001 - 4521. ^ Jump up to : Page 18 - 19 in Chapter 3 of David S.F. Portree 's Humans to Mars : Fifty Years of Mission Planning, 1950 -- 2000, NASA Monographs in Aerospace History Series, Number 21, February 2001. Available as NASA SP - 2001 - 4521. Jump up ^ Page 15 - 16 in Chapter 3 of David S.F. Portree 's Humans to Mars : Fifty Years of Mission Planning, 1950 -- 2000, NASA Monographs in Aerospace History Series, Number 21, February 2001. Available as NASA SP - 2001 - 4521. Jump up ^ Werner von Braun, `` Popular Science ''. google.com. March 1964. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` Folta, et al. - FAST MARS TRANSFERS THROUGH ON - ORBIT STAGING. ( 2012 ) '' ( PDF ). usra.edu. Jump up ^ Matt Williams -- Universe Today. `` Making A Trip To Mars Cheaper & Easier : The Case For Ballistic Capture ''. io9. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` Crocco ''. www.tdf.it. ^ Jump up to : `` To Mars by Flyby - Landing Excursion Mode ( FLEM ) ( 1966 ) ''. wired.com. ^ Jump up to : Taylor, Fredric ( 2010 ). The Scientific Exploration of Mars. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. p. 306. ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 82956 - 4. Jump up ^ Rai, Saritha ( 7 November 2013 ). `` How India Launched Its Mars Mission At Cut - Rate Costs ''. Forbes. Retrieved 6 March 2017. ^ Jump up to : Kerr, Richard ( 31 May 2013 ). `` Radiation Will Make Astronauts ' Trip to Mars Even Riskier ''. Science. 340 ( 6136 ) : 1031. doi : 10.1126 / science. 340.6136. 1031. PMID 23723213. Retrieved 31 May 2013. ^ Jump up to : Zeitlin, C. ; et al. ( 31 May 2013 ). `` Measurements of Energetic Particle Radiation in Transit to Mars on the Mars Science Laboratory ''. Science. 340 ( 6136 ) : 1080 -- 1084. Bibcode : 2013Sci... 340.1080 Z. doi : 10.1126 / science. 1235989. Retrieved 31 May 2013. ^ Jump up to : Chang, Kenneth ( 30 May 2013 ). `` Data Point to Radiation Risk for Travelers to Mars ''. New York Times. Retrieved 31 May 2013. Jump up ^ Regis, Ed ( September 21, 2015 ). `` Let 's Not Move To Mars ''. New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Model calculations of the particle spectrum of the galactic cosmic ray ( GCR ) environment : Assessment with ACE / CRIS and MARIE measurements ''. inist.fr. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ Shiga, David ( 2009 - 09 - 16 ), `` Too much radiation for astronauts to make it to Mars '', New Scientist ( 2726 ) Jump up ^ Fong, MD, Kevin ( 12 February 2014 ). `` The Strange, Deadly Effects Mars Would Have on Your Body ''. Wired. Retrieved 12 February 2014. Jump up ^ Gelling, Cristy ( June 29, 2013 ). `` Mars trip would deliver big radiation dose ; Curiosity instrument confirms expectation of major exposures ''. Science News. 183 ( 13 ) : 8. Retrieved July 8, 2013. Jump up ^ Scott, Jim ( 30 September 2017 ). `` Large solar storm sparks global aurora and doubles radiation levels on the martian surface ''. Phys.org. Retrieved 30 September 2017. Jump up ^ Mader, T.H. ; et al. ( 2011 ). `` Optic Disc Edema, Globe Flattening, Choroidal Folds, and Hyperopic Shifts Observed in Astronauts after Long - duration Space Flight ''. Ophthalmology. 118 ( 10 ) : 2058 -- 2069. doi : 10.1016 / j. ophtha. 2011.06. 021. PMID 21849212. Jump up ^ Puiu, Tibi ( November 9, 2011 ). `` Astronauts ' vision severely affected during long space missions ''. zmescience.com. Retrieved February 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Breaking News Videos, Story Video and Show Clips -- CNN.com ''. CNN. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ Horneck and Comet ( 2006 ), doi : 10.1016 / j. asr. 2005.06. 077 Jump up ^ Ehlmann, B.L., et al. ( 2005 ), doi : 10.1016 / j. actaastro. 2005.01. 010 Jump up ^ Rapp et al. ( 2005 ) doi : 10.1109 / AERO. 2005.1559325 Jump up ^ Queens University Belfast scientist helps NASA Mars project `` No - one has yet proved that there is deep groundwater on Mars, but it is plausible as there is certainly surface ice and atmospheric water vapour, so we would n't want to contaminate it and make it unusable by the introduction of micro-organisms. '' Jump up ^ COSPAR PLANETARY PROTECTION POLICY Archived 2013 - 03 - 06 at the Wayback Machine. ( 20 October 2002 ; As Amended to 24 March 2011 ) Jump up ^ `` An Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars ''. nap.edu. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ When Biospheres Collide -- a history of NASA 's Planetary Protection Programs, Michael Meltzer, May 31, 2012, see Chapter 7, Return to Mars -- final section : `` Should we do away with human missions to sensitive targets '' Jump up ^ Johnson, James E. `` Planetary Protection Knowledge Gaps for Human Extraterrestrial Missions : Goals and Scope. '' ( 2015 ) Jump up ^ Safe on Mars page 37 `` Martian biological contamination may occur if astronauts breathe contaminated dust or if they contact material that is introduced into their habitat. If an astronaut becomes contaminated or infected, it is conceivable that he or she could transmit Martian biological entities or even disease to fellow astronauts, or introduce such entities into the biosphere upon returning to Earth. A contaminated vehicle or item of equipment returned to Earth could also be a source of contamination. '' Jump up ^ `` Photo - s86_25375 ''. nasa.gov. Retrieved 12 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : Annie Platoff, Eyes on the Red Planet : Human Mars Mission Planning, 1952 -- 1970, ( 1999 ) ; available as NASA / CR - 2001 - 2089280 Archived 2010 - 05 - 31 at the Wayback Machine. ( July 2001 ) Jump up ^ Wernher von Braun, The Mars Project, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, 1962 Jump up ^ Wernher von Braun, `` The Next 20 Years of Interplanetary Exploration, '' Astronautics & Aeronautics, November 1965, pp 24 - 34. Jump up ^ M. Wade, Von Braun Mars Expedition -- 1952 Archived 2010 - 01 - 16 at the Wayback Machine., in Encyclopedia Astronautica Jump up ^ `` Von Braun Mars Expedition -- 1956 ''. astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Disney - Von Braun Collaboration and Its Influence on Space Exploration '' by Mike Wright ( 1 ) Jump up ^ Franklin Dixon, `` Summary Presentation : Study of a Manned Mars Excursion Module, '' in Proceedings of the Symposium on Manned Planetary Missions : 1963 / 1964 Status, NASA TM X-53049 ( 1964 ). Jump up ^ Wernher von Braun, `` Manned Mars Landing Presentation to the Space Task Group, '' presentation materials, August 1969 ( referenced by Portree, 2001 op cit. Jump up ^ Artemis Westenberg ( 15 July 2012 ). `` Von Braun about Mars. wmv '' -- via YouTube. Jump up ^ Penelope J. Boston, ed., AAS Science and Technology Series Volume 57, Proceedings of the Case for Mars I, 1984 ( second printing 1987 ), ISBN 0 - 87703 - 197 - 5 Jump up ^ Christopher P. McKay, ed., AAS Science and Technology Series Volume 62, Proceedings of the Case for Mars II, 1985 ( second printing 1988 ) 730p. Hard cover : ISBN 0 - 87703 - 219 - X, Soft cover : ISBN 0 - 87703 - 220 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Geoffrey A. Landis, `` Footsteps to Mars : an Incremental Approach to Mars Exploration, '' Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 48, pp. 367 - 342 ( 1995 ) ; presented at Case for Mars V, Boulder CO, 26 -- 29 May 1993 ; appears in From Imagination to Reality : Mars Exploration Studies, R. Zubrin, ed., AAS Science and Technology Series Volume 91 pp. 339 - 350 ( 1997 ). ( text available as Footsteps to Mars pdf file Jump up ^ NASA, Report of the 90 - day study on human exploration of the Moon and Mars, published 11 / 1989 ; abstract Jump up ^ Dwayne Day, `` Aiming for Mars, grounded on Earth, '' The Space Review February 16, 2004 link Jump up ^ R.M. Zubrin, D.A. Baker and O. Gwynne, `` Mars Direct : A Simple, Robust, and Cost Effective Architecture for the Space Exploration Initiative, '' paper AAS 90 - 168, in The Case for Mars IV : The International Exploration of Mars, Part I, MISSION STRATEGY & ARCHITECTURES, AAS Science and Technology Series Volume 89, Proceedings of the Case for Mars Conference, ed. Thomas R. Meyer, 1997 ( ISBN 0 - 87703 - 418 - 4 ). Jump up ^ R. Zubrin and D.A. Baker, `` Mars Direct : Humans to the Red Planet by 1999, '' 41st Congress of the International Astronautical Federation ( 1990 ) ^ Jump up to : `` ISU Manned Mars Mission ''. archive.org. 19 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. ^ Jump up to : NASA Austere Human Missions to Mars ( 2009 ) Jump up ^ Bret G. Drake, Reference Mission Version 3.0 Addendum to the Human Exploration of Mars : The Reference Mission of the NASA Mars Exploration Study Team, NASA Report NASA / SP -- 6107 -- ADD, June 1998 ( retrieved 2 October 2015 ) Jump up ^ Mars Architecture Steering Group ( Bret G. Drake, ed. ), Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0, NASA / SP -- 2009 -- 566 - ADD ( Addendum to NASA / SP -- 2009 -- 566 ), July 2009 ( accessed 29 Sept. 2015 ) Jump up ^ Yury Zaitsev ( 30 March 2005 ). `` Russia Suggests Manned Martian - Mission Plan ''. Rianovosty. Jump up ^ Vladimir Isachenkov ( 29 October 2009 ). `` Russia Hopes To Fly Humans To Mars With Nuclear Spaceship ''. The Huffington Post. Jump up ^ Fred Guterl ( 2005 - 11 - 22 ). `` The Race to Mars ''. Discover Magazine. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Russia proposes manned Mars mission by 2015 '' -- 8 July 2002 -- New Scientist Jump up ^ `` NASA -- ESMD ''. nasa.gov. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ Adringa, J.M. et al. ( 2005 ), doi : 10.1109 / AERO. 2005.1559312 Jump up ^ AFP : NASA aims to put man on Mars by 2037 Archived 2007 - 12 - 28 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` President Bush Announces New Vision for Space Exploration Program ''. archives.gov. 14 January 2004. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ The Space Age at 50. National Geographic Magazine, October 2007 issue Jump up ^ European Mars Mission Encyclopedia Astronautica Jump up ^ english@peopledaily.com.cn. `` People 's Daily Online -- Roundup : China to develop deep space exploration in five years ''. english.peopledaily.com.cn. Jump up ^ `` 中国 嫦娥 探 月 工程 进展 顺利 进度 将 有望 加快 -- 军事 频道 - 中华 网 - 中国 最大 职业 人士 门户 ''. china.com. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ Bruce Mackenzie, One Way to Mars -- a Permanent Settlement on the First Mission, '' presented at the 1998 International Space Development Conference, May 21 -- 25, Milwaukee WI ; Abstract Archived 2013 - 11 - 13 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ James C. McLane III, `` Spirit of the Lone Eagle '' : an audacious program for a manned Mars landing, The Space Review July 31, 2006 link Jump up ^ James C. McLane III, `` Starship Trooper, '' Harper 's Magazine November 2006. link ( pay subscription required ) Jump up ^ James C. McLane III, `` One Way Ticket to Mars, '' SEARCH Magazine Jan / Feb 2009 link to archived copy Jump up ^ Krauss, Lawrence M. ( 31 August 2009 ). `` A One - Way Ticket to Mars ''. New York Times. Retrieved 2011 - 07 - 20. Jump up ^ Buzz Aldrin Speaks Out : Forget the Moon, Let 's Head to Mars, by Eliza Strickland, 26 June 2006, Discover Magazine Jump up ^ Aldrin, Buzz ( 13 June 2013 ). `` The Call of Mars ''. New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2013. Jump up ^ Dunn, Marcia ( 27 August 2015 ). `` Buzz Aldrin joins university, forming ' master plan ' for Mars ''. AP News. Retrieved 30 August 2015. Jump up ^ Version 5 NASA ( jan. 2009 ) Jump up ^ `` Congress Mostly Approves New Direction for NASA ''. sciencemag.org. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ Glenday, Craig ( 2013 ). Guinness world records. p. 140. ISBN 978 - 1 - 908843 - 15 - 9. Jump up ^ Sputnik ( 14 July 2009 ). `` Mars - 500 crew report good health after experiment ''. rian.ru. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` Russia 's plans for manned Mars missions ''. www.russianspaceweb.com. Jump up ^ Jean - Marc Salotti, Acta Astronautica, Volume 69, Issues 5 -- 6, September -- October 2011, Pages 266 -- 279. Jump up ^ Jean - Marc Salotti, Acta Astronautica, Volume 81, Issue 1, December 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie ''. aiaa.org. Retrieved 12 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Dutch Group Planning for Mars Settlement by 2023 ''. PCMAG. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ Mars One Torn To Shreds In MIT Debate. August 21, 2015 by Jonathan O'Callaghan. Jump up ^ `` Space Tourist to Announce Daring Manned Mars Voyage for 2018 ''. WIRED. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` Millionaire space tourist planning ' historic journey ' to Mars in 2018 - ''. The Space Reporter. Archived from the original on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2015. Jump up ^ K. Klaus, M.L. Raftery and K.E. Post ( 2014 ) `` An Affordable Mars Mission Design '' Archived 2015 - 05 - 07 at the Wayback Machine. ( Houston, Texas : Boeing Co. ) Jump up ^ M.L. Raftery ( May 14, 2014 ) `` Mission to Mars in Six ( not so easy ) Pieces '' ( Houston, Texas : Boeing Co. ) Jump up ^ NASA ( December 2, 2014 ) `` NASA 's Journey to Mars News Briefing '' NASA TV Jump up ^ Mahoney, Erin. `` NASA Releases Plan Outlining Next Steps in the Journey to Mars ''. NASA. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ `` NASA 's Journey To Mars : Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration '' ( PDF ). www.nasa.gov. NASA. October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` NASA Chief : We 're Closer to Sending Humans on Mars Than Ever Before ''. marsdaily.com. Jump up ^ Boyle, Alan ( 2016 - 10 - 23 ). `` SpaceX 's Elon Musk geeks out over Mars interplanetary transport plan on Reddit ''. GeekWire. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 24. Jump up ^ Foust, Jeff ( 2016 - 10 - 10 ). `` Can Elon Musk get to Mars ? ''. SpaceNews. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ Richardson, Derek ( 2016 - 09 - 27 ). `` Elon Musk Shows Off Interplanetary Transport System ''. Spaceflight Insider. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ Chang, Kenneth ( 27 September 2016 ). `` Elon Musk 's Plan : Get Humans to Mars, and Beyond ''. New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2016. Jump up ^ 2016 StartmeupHK Venture Forum -- Elon Musk on Entrepreneurship and Innovation. StartmeupHK Venture Forum -- 2016. via InvestHK YouTube channel : Invest Hong Kong. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016. ( SpaceX discussion at 30 : 15 - 31 : 40 ) We 'll have the next generation rocket and spacecraft, beyond the Falcon and Dragon series... I 'm hoping to describe that architecture later this year at the International Astronautical Congress. which is the big international space event every year... first flights to Mars ? we 're hoping to do that in around 2025... nine years from now or thereabouts. Jump up ^ Taylor, Harriet ( 2 June 2016 ). `` Musk : We intend to launch people to Mars in 2024, arrival in 2025 ''. cnbc.com. Jump up ^ `` Elon Musk : Just watch me -- I 'll put HUMAN BOOTS on Mars by 2026 ''. Theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Mars Base Camp ''. www.lockheedmartin.com. Jump up ^ Hambleton, Kathryn ( 28 March 2017 ). `` Deep Space Gateway to Open Opportunities for Distant Destinations ''. nasa.gov. Jump up ^ http://www.waaytv.com/space_alabama/how-nasa-plans-to-put-boots-on-mars-using-huntsville/article_6e3453de-13c5-11e7-847e-3fe56b428c09.html Jump up ^ Berger, Eric ( 29 March 2017 ). `` Finally, some details about how NASA actually plans to get to Mars ''. Ars Technica. Jump up ^ `` Nasa 's Orion spacecraft prepares for launch in first step towards manned Mars mission ''. Washington Post. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Twitter feed of NASA ''. Twitter. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 02. Jump up ^ `` NASA 's Orion Flight Test and the Journey to Mars ''. NASA website. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 01. Jump up ^ Berger, Eric ( 2016 - 10 - 12 ). `` Why Obama 's `` giant leap to Mars '' is more of a bunny hop right now ``. Ars Technica. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ Johnston, Ian. `` ' Incredibly brave ' Mars colonists could live in red - brick houses, say engineers '', The Independent ( April 27, 2017 ). Jump up ^ `` India celebrates Mars mission ' cheaper than a movie ' ''. Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` Second mission to Mars may be by 2020 : ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan ''. The Economic Times. Press Trust of India. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014. Jump up ^ Dodhiya, K.A. ( 4 January 2015 ). `` Chandrayaan - II in full progress : Isro ex-chief ''. The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` India plans second Mars mission in 2018 ''. CNN - IBN. Indo - Asian News Service. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` ISRO 's Mangalyaan - 2 Mission to launch in 2018 ''. NIT Sparrows. 2014. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` China shows first images of Mars rover, aims for 2020 mission ''. Reuters. Retrieved 24 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Interview with Zhang Rongqiao, the man behind China 's mission to Mars ''. Youtube. Retrieved 24 August 2016. China Central Television Jump up ^ Jones, Andrew ( 22 February 2016 ). `` China is racing to make the 2020 launch window to Mars ''. GB Times. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 22. Jump up ^ Berger, Eric ( 22 February 2016 ). `` China pressing ahead with orbiter and lander mission to Mars ''. ARS Technica. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 23. Jump up ^ Lu, Shen ( 4 November 2016 ). `` China says it plans to land rover on Mars in 2020 ''. CNN News. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 23. Jump up ^ `` 中国 嫦娥 探 月 工程 进展 顺利 进度 将 有望 加快 -- 军事 频道 - 中华 网 - 中国 最大 职业 人士 门户 ''. military.china.com. Jump up ^ Пилотируемый полет на Марс будет возможен после 2040 года - Роскосмос. versii.com ( in Russian ). Retrieved 22 August 2014. Jump up ^ Rainey, Kristine ( 7 August 2015 ). `` Crew Members Sample Leafy Greens Grown on Space Station ''. nasa.gov. ^ Jump up to : `` A Solution for Medical Needs and Cramped Quarters in Space IVGEN Undergoes Lifetime Testing in Preparation For Future Missions ''. NASA. Retrieved 12 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` The Caves of Mars -- Martian Air Breathing Mice ''. highmars.org. Archived from the original on 24 July 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Suiting Up for the Red Planet ''. ieee.org. Jump up ^ Natasha, Bosanac, ; Ana, Diaz, ; Victor, Dang, ; Frans, Ebersohn, ; Stefanie, Gonzalez, ; Jay, Qi, ; Nicholas, Sweet, ; Norris, Tie, ; Gianluca, Valentino, ; Abigail, Fraeman, ; Alison, Gibbings, ; Tyler, Maddox, ; Chris, Nie, ; Jamie, Rankin, ; Tiago, Rebelo, ; Graeme, Taylor, ( 1 March 2014 ). `` Manned sample return mission to Phobos : A technology demonstration for human exploration of Mars ''. authors.library.caltech.edu. Jump up ^ Larry Page Deep Space Exploration -- Stepping Stones builds up to `` Red Rocks : Explore Mars from Deimos '' Jump up ^ `` One Possible Small Step Toward Mars Landing : A Martian Moon ''. Space.com. Retrieved 12 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : esa. `` Mars Sample Return : bridging robotic and human exploration ''. esa.int. Jump up ^ Jones, S.M. ; et al. ( 2008 ). `` Ground Truth From Mars ( 2008 ) -- Mars Sample Return at 6 Kilometers per Second : Practical, Low Cost, Low Risk, and Ready '' ( PDF ). USRA. Retrieved September 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Science Strategy -- NASA Solar System Exploration ''. NASA Solar System Exploration. ^ Jump up to : esa. `` Mars Sample Return ''. esa.int. ^ Jump up to : ( 2 ) ^ Jump up to : `` Next On Mars ''. www.spacedaily.com. Jump up ^ Landis, G.A. `` Teleoperation from Mars Orbit : A Proposal for Human Exploration ''. Acta Astronautica. 62 ( 1 ) : 59 -- 65. Bibcode : 2008AcAau... 62... 59L. doi : 10.1016 / j. actaastro. 2006.12. 049. ; presented as paper IAC - 04 - IAA. 3.7. 2.05, 55th International Astronautical Federation Congress, Vancouver BC, Oct. 4 - 8 2004. Jump up ^ M.L. Lupisella, `` Human Mars Mission Contamination Issues '', Science and the Human Exploration of Mars, January 11 -- 12, 2001, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. LPI Contribution No. 1089. ( accessed 11 / 15 / 2012 ) Jump up ^ George R. Schmidt, Geoffrey A. Landis, and Steven R. Oleson NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, 44135 HERRO Missions to Mars and Venus using Telerobotic Surface Exploration from Orbit Archived 2013 - 05 - 13 at the Wayback Machine. 48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition 4 -- 7 January 2010, Orlando, Florida Jump up ^ HERRO TeleRobotic Exploration of Mars, Geoffrey Landis, Mars Society 2010 4 part YouTube Video Further reading Collins, Michael ( November 1988 ). `` Mission to Mars ''. National Geographic. Vol. 174 no. 5. pp. 732 -- 764. ISSN 0027 - 9358. OCLC 643483454. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manned missions to Mars. Human Exploration of Mars : The Reference Mission Design Reference Mission 1.0 Reference Mission Version 3.0, Addedum to Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Mission 3.0 Mars Expeditions & Flybys & Selected Flybys List of most manned mission projects to Mars a longer bibliography can be found in the bibliography of Portree 's book, available in pdf format from NASA. Mars Outline of Mars Geography Atmosphere Circulation Climate Dust devil tracks Methane Regions Arabia Terra Cerberus Hemisphere Cydonia Eridania Lake Iani Chaos Olympia Undae Planum Australe Planum Boreum Quadrangles Sinus Meridiani Tempe Terra Terra Cimmeria Terra Sabaea Tharsis Undae Ultimi Scopuli Vastitas Borealis Physical Features Canyons Catenae Chaos terrain Craters Fossae Gullies Mensae Labyrinthi Mountains by height Observed rocks Outflow channels Plains Valley network Valleys Gravity Geology Brain terrain Canals ( list ) Carbonates Chaos terrain Color Composition Concentric crater fill Dark slope streak Dichotomy Fretted terrain Geysers Glaciers Groundwater Gullies Lakes Lava tubes Lobate debris apron Meteorites on Earth on Mars North Polar Basin Ocean hypothesis Ore resources Polar caps Recurring slope lineae ( RSL ) Ring mold craters Rootless cones Seasonal flows Soil Spherules Surface `` Swiss cheese '' feature Terrain softening Tharsis bulge Volcanology Water Yardangs History Amazonian Hesperian Noachian Observation history Classical albedo features Astronomy Moons Phobos Stickney crater Monolith Deimos Swift crater Voltaire crater Transits Solar eclipses on Mars Satellite transits Phobos Deimos Planetary transits Earth Venus Mercury Asteroids Mars - crossers 2007 WD 5 Trojans 5261 Eureka 1998 VF 1999 UJ 2007 NS Comets C / 2013 A1 ( Siding Spring ) ( Mars close approach, 19 Oct 2014 ) Exploration Concepts Flyby Orbiter Landing Rover Sample return Manned mission Permanent settlement Colonization Terraforming Current ExoMars orbiter lander Mangalyaan Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity observed Mars Express 2001 Mars Odyssey Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE HiWish program Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity timeline MAVEN Past Beagle 2 Deep Space 2 Mariner program Mariner 4 Mariner 6 and 7 Mariner 9 Mars program Mars 1 Mars 2 Mars 3 Mars 4 Mars 5 Mars 6 Mars 7 Mars 96 Mars Exploration Rover Spirit observed Mars Global Surveyor MOC Mars Observer Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Mars Surveyor ' 98 program Mars Climate Orbiter Mars Polar Lander Nozomi Phobos program Phobos 1 Phobos 2 Phoenix Viking program Viking 1 Viking 2 Yinghuo - 1 Zond 2 Future Emirates Mars Mission Mars Terahertz Microsatellite ExoMars rover surface platform InSight Mars Cube One Mangalyaan 2 Mars 2020 MOXIE PIXL SHERLOC Mars Global Remote Sensing Orbiter and Small Rover MMX Proposed Robotic Icebreaker Life Mars 2022 orbiter Mars Geyser Hopper Mars - Grunt MELOS MetNet Northern Light PADME Phobos Surveyor Phootprint Human Mars Base Camp Mars Design Reference Mission Austere Human Missions to Mars Mars Direct Mars One Mars to Stay SpaceX Mars transportation infrastructure Abandoned Caves of Mars Project Mars Piloted Orbital Station Red Dragon SCIM TMK Simulations Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition Haughton -- Mars Project HI - SEAS Mars Analogue Research Station Program Euro - MARS FMARS MARS - Oz MDRS MARS - 500 Strategies Mars Scout Program Mars Exploration Program Mars Exploration Joint Initiative Mars Next Generation Advocacy The Mars Project The Case for Mars Inspiration Mars Foundation Mars Institute Mars Society ICAMSR Mars race Related Artificial objects on Mars Memorials on Mars Fiction List of films set on Mars Martian Martian scientist Mythology Phobos and Deimos in fiction Flag of Mars Life on Mars Sub-Earth Timekeeping on Mars Darian calendar Book Portal Human missions to Mars List of manned Mars mission plans 21st - century proposals Aurora programme Austere Human Missions to Mars Chinese mission to Mars Constellation program Inspiration Mars Mars Base Camp Mars One Mars Piloted Orbital Station Mars to Stay SpaceX Mars transportation infrastructure Vision for Space Exploration 20th - century proposals The Mars Project Martian Piloted Complex TMK Ride Report Space Exploration Initiative Mars Direct The Case for Mars Mars Design Reference Mission 3.0 Mars analogs ( list ) MARS - 500 Mars Analogue Research Station Program FMARS MDRS Euro - MARS MARS - Oz Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition Concordia Station HI - SEAS NEEMO Advocacy Caves of Mars Project ICAMSR Mars Institute Mars Society Hardware concepts Manned Mars rover Mars suit Mars Excursion Module Mars cycler Mars lander Mars rover Miscellaneous Colonization of Mars Exploration of Mars Fiction Films Novels Mars orbit rendezvous Terraforming of Mars Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Human_mission_to_Mars&oldid=828133931 '' Categories : Exploration of Mars Manned missions to Mars Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from January 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template wayback links Articles with dead external links from November 2017 CS1 uses Russian - language script ( ru ) CS1 Russian - language sources ( ru ) All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2010 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2016 Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2018 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Íslenska Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 12 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 February 2018, at 19 : 25. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when is the first mission to mars planned
Answer: the 2030s