Mars is a popular planet for colonization due to its similarity to Earth and rich spectrum of elements. It has a thin atmosphere and a surface temperature ranging from -5°C to -87°C. The planet has been extensively studied by orbiters and rovers, with the largest known mountain and canyon in the solar system. A manned mission to Mars is a goal for many space agencies, but better propulsion systems are needed before building a colony becomes practical.
Mars is probably the most beloved planet in the solar system aside from Earth. It is featured in most fiction, and is the subject of most colonization plans. It is named after various gods of war and chaos in ancient times, because its red appearance resembles blood. We now know that this is due to the large amount of oxidized iron (rust) that coats its surface. Mars has a thin, tenuous atmosphere, about 1/100th the density of Earth’s, composed mostly of carbon dioxide.
We know more about Mars than any other planet in the solar system besides Earth, largely thanks to the three orbiters and two rovers currently studying the planet and sending back massive amounts of data. The surface of Mars has been mapped with 0.3-metre resolution by the HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and two Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been circling the planet’s surface since January 2004, powered by solar arrays. In the first three years of activity, the rovers each covered a distance of about 10 km.
Mars orbits about 1.6 AU (Earth-Sun distance) from the Sun, with a year of 686 days. It has a surface temperature ranging from -5°C during the day to -87°C at night. With a surface gravity of .37g and a mass only 10% that of Earth, Mars sits somewhere between the Earth and the Moon in terms of mass. (The mass of the Moon is about 1% that of the Earth.) It is the site of the largest known mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons, many times the height of Mt. Everest, and the largest canyon, Valles Marineris, which runs almost a quarter of its circumference.
On January 14, 2004, George W. Bush announced a Vision for Space Exploration that mentioned a goal of sending manned missions to Mars around 2030. A manned mission to Mars would take several years to get to the planet, and more is needed research to test the behavior of humans when confined in a small space for that period of time. Several space agencies have published requests for volunteers for such projects.
If humans eventually make it to Mars, it would likely be easier to set up an outpost than on the Moon. Mars has a richer spectrum of elements than the Moon, as well as an atmosphere that would provide some protection from cosmic rays. It also has a temperature much closer to that of Earth and vast reserves of ice in its polar caps. Obviously the downside of Mars is its great distance from Earth. We may need better propulsion systems before building a colony on Mars becomes practical.
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