8 high-tech innovations that will put humans on Mars

From interplanetary ships to humanoid robots, these are the technologies that will help establish the first human colony on Mars.

by Michael d'Estries  |  Friday, March 31, 2017

by Michael d'Estries
Friday, March 31, 2017

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An illustration of an early Mars colony. An illustration of an early Mars colony. (Photo: Mars Society MRDS)

An illustration of an early Mars colony.
NASA's 'Valkyrie' robot is laying the technical groundwork for what will eventually become a fully functional robot assistant on Mars.
The AstroRad radiation suit aims to protect astronauts from damaging gamma rays during their time to and on Mars.
Potatoes have been called a Mars supercrop for their ability to grow in conditions similar on the planet's harsh surface.
Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will send data from Mars to Earth at speeds 100 times faster than current radio-frequency communications.
The Martian greenhouse concept as created by researchers based out of the University of Arizona.
The 3D-printed 'Ice House' would use the abundance of liquid water and low temperatures in Mars' northern latitudes to create a dual-layer ice shell.
The development of carbon nanotubes will allow for the transport of lightweight, but strong materials to Mars.
A concept illustration of SpaceX's proposed interplanetary spaceship.
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Cool tech that will get us to Mars

Within our lifetimes, rover tracks on the surface of Mars may one day be joined by human footprints.

A number of major players are currently engaged in developing the technologies and means necessary to begin the human colonization of the red planet. While the timelines presented by each for bringing this ambitious new chapter in human exploration to fruition differ, many believe the world envisioned by Matt Damon's "The Martian" could be two to four decades away.

"It is in our DNA, our makeup as human beings, to have a curiosity to expand our knowledge and to explore beyond the present limits," former astronaut Buzz Aldrin told From The Grapevine. "It is an inevitable mark of progress."

Click through the following slides to learn more about the technologies currently in development that will one day take us to Mars and beyond.

Photos and SlideshowsPhotos and Slideshows