The time has come to go to Mars

The exploration and settlement of Mars is one of the most daring and audacious human endeavors of our time.

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Design the First Human Settlement on Mars

The Mars Society is holding a contest for the best plan for a Mars colony of 1000 people. There will be a prize of $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second and $2500 for third. In addition, the best 20 papers will published in a book “Mars Colonies: Plans for Settling the Red Planet.”

Enter the Contest

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“We are much closer today to being able to send humans to Mars than we were to being able to send men to the Moon in 1961, and we were there eight years later. Given the will, we could have humans on Mars within a decade.” -- Dr. Robert Zubrin, Mars Society President

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About the Mars Society

The Mars Society is the world's largest and most influential space advocacy organization dedicated to the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. Established by Dr. Robert Zubrin and others in 1998, the group works to educate the public, the media and government on the benefits of exploring Mars and creating a permanent human presence on the Red Planet.

Mars Society activities include:

Mars Desert Research Station

The MDRS is the second Mars analogue habitat located near Hanksville, Utah. Annual field seasons run approx. October through May, and consist of two week crew rotations.

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Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS)

The FMARS is located on Devon Island in the Canadian high arctic and is the first of two simulated Mars analogue research stations.

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MARS DIRECT

A Minimalist, Live-off-the-land Approach to Colonizing the Red Planet

  • Maximum Results

    By learning from past pioneers, Mars Direct is built for maximum results with minimum investment.

  • Live Off The Land

    There is no need to bring everything to Mars, we plan to produce fuel on the surface using Mars' atmosphere.

  • Today's Technology

    Using existing launch technology, the plan drastically lowers the amount of material which must be launched to Mars.

  • Minimal Launch Mass

    Mars Direct employs minimal mass requirements, sidestepping the biggest roadblock to human exploration that we face today.

For more information, visit our Mars Direct Page

  • A Plan for Today

    Through Mars Direct's design philosophy, the plan rapidly accelerates the timetable for human exploration of the solar system.

  • Mission Length

    Exploring the Red Planet needs time, and future explorers will spend a year and a half on the planet's surface.

  • Earth-Mars Transit

    Mars is a great distance from Earth but by utilizing our planetary orbits, we can reduce transit time to six months.

  • Modular Living

    Multiple habs can be sent to the same site and linked together, allowing for the beginning of a permanent human settlement on Mars.

Be a part of the worldwide effort to send humans to Mars.

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