OUR ongoing quest to explore Mars is already mapped out for years to come – and there are some bold missions coming up.
We reveal some of the most exciting Mars missions in the works, which could see human bases and even helicopters set up on the red planet.
Mars 2020 Rover – Nasa
In July or August 2020, Nasa will launch its long awaited Mars 2020 rover mission.
It’s particularly exciting because the main goal is to investigate the past habitability of Mars – and uncover whether life ever existed on the planet.
What’s also unique about the 2020 rover is that Nasa fitted it with a “Mars Helicopter Scout”.
This “small autonomous rotorcraft” will be strapped to the belly of the rover, and will eventually launch on Mars – snapping visuals from the air, where rovers can’t reach.
But it won’t be easy, as Nasa’s Mimi Aung explains: “The altitude record for a helicopter flying here on Earth is about 40,000 feet.
“The atmosphere of Mars is only one percent that of Earth, so when our helicopter is on the Martian surface, it’s already at the Earth equivalent of 100,000 feet up.
“To make it fly at that low atmospheric density, we had to scrutinize everything, make it as light as possible while being as strong and as powerful as it can possibly be.”
ExoMars 2020 – ESA
The European Space Agency is launching its own rival mission in 2020, too.
The ExoMars mission will deliver a European rover to the surface of Mars.
Its main aim is to search the Martian surface for signs of life, collecting samples using a drill – and then analysing them on-site.
While other rovers have collected samples to be returned to Earth later on, the ExoMars mission will both move across and study Mars simultaneously.
And with a maximum drill depth of two metres, the ExoMars rover will be able to look deep into Mars’ past.
China 2020 Probe – China NSA
China’s space agency also has a planned rover mission, expected to launch in July or August 2020.
Like other missions, China’s main objective is to search for life – current or past.
Interestingly, China’s Mars program began in 2009 as part of a partnership with Russia. But after a Russian spacecraft crashed carrying a Chinese orbiter in 2012, China launched its own national project.
China will be examining the Martian landscape, soil composition, and looking for water ice on the red planet.
Emirates Mars Mission – UAE Space Agency
The United Arab Emirates is also hoping to launch its first interplanetary mission in 2021.
A spacecraft is set to arrive on the red planet to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the country’s founding.
The launch is expected to take place in July 2020, and will travel through space for around 200 days.
Once landed, the craft is expected to provide between two to four years of science operations.
Starship 2022 and 2024 – SpaceX
Elon Musk’s SpaceX – a private US space company – is expected to make a number of missions to Mars.
And success seems likely, given that SpaceX and Nasa have worked closely together on previous launches.
The first mission is planned for 2022, and is a “cargo mission”.
The objectives are to confirm water resources, identify hazards, and put in place “initial power, mining and life support infrastructure”.
Then in 2024, Musk hopes SpaceX will deliver both cargo and a human crew to Mars. They will be tasked with building a propellant depot and preparing for future crew flights.
Importantly, the ships that land on Mars as part of these first two missions will serve as “the beginnings of the first Mars base”.
The hope? To “build a thriving city and eventually a self-sustaining civilisation” on Mars.
Deep Space Transport 2029 – Nasa
Nasa has a long roadmap for Martian exploration.
The first phase spans 2018 to 2025, and involves building, testing and launching rockets.
These rockets will deliver parts for the Deep Space Gateway, which is a new space station that will be built near the Moon.
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Once that’s up and running, Nasa hopes to launch a Deep Space Transport tube – a human-crewed spacecraft that will support exploration missions to Mars – to the lunar station.
In 2030, the DST will be stocked with supplies and the Mars crew.
And in 2033, the mission to Mars will launch – with humans on board.
Do you think you’ll ever get the chance to visit Mars? Let us know in the comments!
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News Pictures Martian helicopters, human colonies and drilling for ALIENS – Mars missions of the next decade revealed
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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