Travel to Mars
The distance doesn't look too great.
Close is a relative term. The minimum distance from the Earth to Mars is about 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers).
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System after Mercury. In English, Mars carries the name of the Roman god of war and is often referred to as the 'Red Planet'.
1 What are the challenges of going to Mars?
- Difficulties and hazards include radiation exposure during a trip to Mars
- and on its surface, toxic soil,
- low gravity,
- the isolation that accompanies Mars' distance from Earth,
- lack of water,
- and cold temperatures.
2 Why should we want to go to Mars?
- Mars is an obvious target for exploration because it is close by in our Solar System,
- but there are many more reasons to explore the Red Planet.
- The scientific reasons for going to Mars can be summarised by
- the search for life,
- understanding the surface.
- the planet's evolution,
- and preparing for future human exploration.
3 Searching for life on Mars
- Understanding whether life existed elsewhere in the Universe beyond Earth is a fundamental question of humankind.
- Mars is an excellent place to investigate this question because it is the most similar planet to Earth in the Solar System.
- Evidence suggests that Mars was once full of water, warmer and had a thicker atmosphere, offering a potentially habitable environment.
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