'Humans should colonise Mars,' says Buzz Aldrin
Second man to walk on moon believes first manned expedition to the red planet could be achieved by 2040
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, has called for space exploration efforts to be concentrated on Mars with a view to establishing a colony.
Discussing space exploration at the Science Museum in London this weekend, Aldrin (above) said self-sufficiency should be the ultimate goal of a human outpost on the red planet. "Is there anything bigger that humans could do on Earth than to leave and begin to occupy?" he asked.
Reaching Mars would be "the easy part", he said, predicting mankind could set foot on the planet by 2040. The challenge would be sustaining a colony, which would require shuttles between Mars and the Earth until it became self-sufficient.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Nor would it be difficult to recruit volunteers to set up a permanent settlement on Mars, he said, although the long-term psychological impact could present problems. "I can also see things getting a little tough and they regret the decision and their functioning going down and that being disruptive to people," he said.
The former Apollo astronaut, who was part of the first moon landing in 1969, has long been an advocate of establishing a human settlement on the red planet. In 2013, he wrote a column for the New York Times in which he envisioned a successful colony there, making human beings a "two-planet species".
Dozens of proposals for a crewed mission to Mars have been proposed since the inception of space exploration, but the risk and expense prevented any serious undertaking until the development of Nasa's Orion spacecraft, which was announced in 2011. The ship made its first unmanned test flight into the Earth's orbit in 2014 and if all goes to plan, could take astronauts to Mars by 2035.
TAGS: Space, Nasa
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
On the trail of India’s wild lions at Sasan Gir National Park
The Week Recommends The sanctuary is a 'roaring' conservation success
By The Week UK
-
Recipe: almond marmalade cake
The Week Recommends This syrupy cake can be toasted for brunch
By The Week UK
-
Crossword: May 5, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Nigeria's worsening rate of maternal mortality
Under the radar Economic crisis is making hospitals unaffordable, with women increasingly not receiving the care they need
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How happy is Finland really?
Today's Big Question Nordic nation tops global happiness survey for seventh year in a row with 'focus on contentment over joy'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How Tehran became the world's nose job capital
Under the radar Iranian doctors raise alarm over low costs, weak regulation and online influence of 'Western beauty standards'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Africa's renewed battle against female genital mutilation
Under the radar Campaigners call for ban in Sierra Leone after deaths of three girls as coast-to-coast convoy prepares to depart
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Argentina: the therapy capital of the world
Under the radar Buenos Aires natives go hungry to pay for psychoanalysis, amid growing instability, anxiety – and societal acceptance
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Does declining birth rate spell doom for Britain?
Today's Big Question Ageing population puts pressure on welfare state, economy and fabric of society, while fertility is rising on populist agendas
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How a new blood test could revolutionise sepsis diagnosis
The Explainer Early results from ongoing trial suggest faster identification of deadly condition is possible
By The Week Staff Published