TOUR GUIDE TO MARS

Pack your spacesuit and get ready to tick off the must-see sights of the Red Planet

- AILSA HARVEY

Mars tourism may be as distant a concept as the planet itself, but as scientists learn more about the Martian environment and space agencies tackle the technological hurdles required for space travel to Mars, the planet is becoming more reachable. We've sent dozens of robotic explorers to the Red Planet so far, and in the 2030s astronauts are set to follow them. Through rover exploration and research, scientists have discovered evidence that Mars had a much more hospitable environment in the past, which could have hosted life. It's one of the only celestial bodies we know of in the Solar System that once had liquid water on its surface, and so learning more about Mars can help us better understand our own planet.

The distance of a one-way trip to Mars can range from 34.8 to 250 million miles, depending on the location of the planets in their orbits. On average, a journey from Earth to Mars is 140 million miles. This is an extreme trip to embark on, yet when it comes to interplanetary travel, Mars is our next-door neighbour.

The Red Planet gets its name from its rusty, rocky landscape, which covers around 55.8 million square miles. Its colour is caused by the oxidisation of iron in the rocks. Its dusty desert environment can be extremely turbulent, with local and global dust storms known to last for more than a month. These occur once every three Martian years, equivalent to 5.5 Earth years. If you were to visit Mars in less stormy conditions with better visibility, there are many fascinating natural geological features to explore, many carved out by unconfirmed events in its past.