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Question
Can People actually live on Mars?
Today people have no way to get to Mars, so at present we certainly can't live there. If we developed a transportation system to take people to Mars, we would also need to design appropriate life support systems for them. They could not survive without a source of oxygen and water and protection from low atmospheric pressure, extreme cold, and intense ultraviolet radiation. However, these are all challenges that could be met, just as they were for humans on the Moon during the Apollo program. For additional information look at the posted answers to questions about "changes we would need to take place for Mars to be suitable for stations and space colonization" under Life or Other Worlds, and concerning "why is there so much interest in Mars for colonization" under Life Sciences.
David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
May 29, 2003
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