NASA Plans to Send Humans to Mars in 2030

“Going to the Moon and staying there for an extended period is much safer, more economical, and easier as a testbed to learn how to live and work on another planet,” says Libby Jackson, Director of Space at the Science Museum in London.

However, the ultimate goal is to send humans to Mars.

In this process, NASA will use the Moon as a testing laboratory. There, key technologies for human survival beyond Earth will be developed, such as:

• Oxygen (air) production
• Water extraction
• Energy generation
• Protection against space radiation

In other words, the Moon is the intermediate step before reaching Mars.

“If these technologies fail on Mars, the consequences would be catastrophic. That is why they must be tested on the Moon first,” Jackson explains.

Source: CNN Español, NASA