Man will walk on Mars within a generation, says UK's Astronomer Royal

Lord Rees of Ludlow , UK's Astronomer Royal, said the NASA's Curiosity exploration mission, to determine whether MARS could have supported life at some time in it's past, was the first step in accessing Earth's nearest neighbour.

He said the exploration project could mark the start of the "post-human era" despite the risks associated with travelling into the solar system.

"It is foolish to claim, as some do, that mass emigration into space offers escape from Earth’s problems," he said, writing in the Times.

"But I believe, and hope, that some people living now will walk on Mars. Moreover, a century or two from now, small groups of intrepid adventurers may be living there or perhaps on asteroids quite independently from Earth."

Lord Rees predicted a "dramatic cultural and technological evolution" on the planet and beyond as scientists learn more about Mars.

"Perhaps the cosmos teems with life; on the other hand, our Earth could be unique among the billions of planets that surely exist," he added.

"That may be disappointing but would have its upside: it would entitle us to be less cosmically modest. Our tiny planet could then be the most important place in the galaxy. It could perhaps even be a seed from which life could spread through the entire galaxy.

"We may learn this century whether biological evolution is unique to our “pale blue dot”, or whether the wider cosmos teems with life — even with intelligence. As Curiosity trundles through Martian craters, we hope for some early clues."

Announcing the success of the mission, Charles Bolden, Nasa administrator, said it would "blaze a trail for human footprints on Mars".