Mars is the only planet humanity may explore within the next millennium, in the opinion of Energia President Vitaly Lopota.
Energia is a Russian aerospace company that is a major producer of spacecraft, launch vehicles, rocket stages, and missiles.
"Mars is the common
goal of any scenarios [of the solar system exploration] in the next 50 years," he said.
Lopota thinks that humanity will be unable to venture beyond the solar system in the foreseeable future due to its technologies. It would be senseless to fly to Venus, because its environment is unfavorable for humans.
"The only choice is Mars, which is rather good," he said.
The Martian atmospheric pressure is 1/100 of Earth's. The atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide at 95%, and the planet has sufficient water resources.
Planets beyond Mars are freezing, which makes them unsuitable for living.