Could humans live on Mars?
Humans could not survive on Mars without protection. It has thin, unbreathable air, freezing temperatures and high radiation, but future explorers might live there in sealed habitats.
Mars's atmosphere is about 95 percent carbon dioxide and less than 1 percent as thick as Earth's. The average temperature is about minus 60 degrees Celsius. Without a strong magnetic field or thick atmosphere, the surface receives high levels of radiation from the Sun and space. People would need pressurized suits and shelters.
Mars does have resources that could help. There is water ice under the surface and at the poles, which could provide drinking water, oxygen and rocket fuel. NASA's Perseverance rover tested a device called MOXIE that successfully made oxygen from Martian air. Martian soil contains toxic perchlorates that would need to be removed before growing food.
Getting there
A trip to Mars takes about six to nine months, and launch windows open about every 26 months. NASA and companies like SpaceX are working toward crewed missions, but no firm date for humans on Mars has been set.
Did You Know?
Gravity on Mars is about 38 percent of Earth's, so a person who weighs 70 kilograms on Earth would feel like they weigh about 27 kilograms there.