Colonization of Mars

The colonization of Mars is the proposed process of establishing and maintaining control of Martian land for exploitation and the possible settlement of Mars.^[1] Most colonization concepts focus on settling, but colonization is a broader ethical concept,^[2] which international space law has limited,^[3] and national space programs have avoided,^[4] focusing on a human mission to Mars to explore the planet. Settlement of Mars would involve migration of humans to the planet, the establishment of long-term human presence, and the exploitation of local resources. Though uncrewed rovers have explored Mars, there have been no crewed missions and there have been no return missions.

Mars' orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit, though far enough from Earth that the distance would present a serious obstacle to the movement of materiel and colonists. While Mars' day and general composition are similar to Earth, the planet is hostile to life. Mars has an unbreathable atmosphere, thin enough that its temperature on average fluctuates between −70 and 0 °C (−94 and 32 °F), yet thick enough to cause planet-wide dust storms. The barren landscape of Mars is covered by fine, toxic dust and subject to intense ionizing radiation. Opportunities to generate electricity via wind, solar, and nuclear power using resources on Mars are poor. Justifications and motivations for colonizing Mars include curiosity, the opportunity to conduct in-depth observational research, an economic interest in its resources, and the possibility that the settlement of other planets could decrease the probability of human extinction. Mars has some in-situ resources, such as underground water, Martian soil, and ore, which could be used by colonists.

The prospect of settling Mars has garnered interest from public space agencies and private corporations and has been extensively explored in science fiction writing, film, and art. Commitments to researching permanent settlement have been made by public space agencies—NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, ISRO, the CNSA, among others—and private organizations—SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing. In addition to these, there are space advocacy groups that are focused on Mars colonization, such as the Mars Society and The Planetary Society.