After the washing machine-sized robotic space probe's successful landing recently, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) eyes another scientific breakthrough. This time, the agency's chief scientist wants to bring a human to Mars.
In an interview with CNN, Dr. Ellen Stofan expressed the possibility of a Mars travel by the mid 2030's. Stofan, NASA's chief scientist, said that the Red Planet is the "logical choice" where human race can possibly survive. The 53-year old said the statement after finding out the successful landing of Rosetta just last week.
"In a sense it's our destiny to move beyond this planet and Mars is the logical choice," Stofan said. The mother of three added, "Mars is the other body in the solar system that we're very likely to find that life evolved."
Stofan, who is the daughter of a NASA engineer, said life in Mars may not be simple but it is not impossible as well. The lady scientist said humans can still live and work in Earth's neighboring planet but great scientific technologies will be needed to do so.
"It's a place where humans could live and work -- not out in the open -- but with not too-radical modifications," the geologist said. She also said it will be a significant milestone especially for human race's survival if a laboratory will be built in Mars.
"So being able to have a laboratory on Mars, being able to have some sort of sustained human presence on Mars in the future, I think is critically important for science," Stofan said.
Technically, it will be eight months to be able to reach Mars. The long ride is hard enough but to be able to land in Mars' thin atmosphere is another issue that NASA might be facing, in case the Red Planet travel in 2035 might push through.
"If you think of the Apollo capsule coming into Earth with a parachute, the Mars atmosphere is just so thin you've got to find some way of slowing yourself down really rapidly," Stofan, who was able to watch a rocket launch for the first time when she was four-year old kid, explained.
