The Human Mission

The 14-phase plan to send humans to the Red Planet — and keep them alive.

Recruitment & Selection

Who goes to Mars — and how they are chosen.

8–12 years before launch (approximately 2028–2033 for a late 2030s mission)

Training & Preparation

Years of physical, psychological, and technical preparation.

5–10 years before launch

Mission Architecture

Designing the spacecraft, timeline, and overall mission plan.

2030–2040 (design finalization 2025–2030)

Launch & Transit

The 180-day journey through deep space.

2035–2040 (first crewed transit)

Mars Orbit & Entry

Orbital insertion, descent, and landing on the Red Planet.

Mid-2030s to 2040s

First Hours on Mars

Immediate priorities the moment the crew steps out.

First crewed Mars landing: late 2030s–early 2040s

Habitat Construction

Building a home that keeps you alive.

26 months before crew arrival (robotic pre-deployment); crew occupation begins ~2040 in optimistic scenarios

Life Support Systems

Air, water, and pressure — the machinery of survival.

Operational during all surface mission phases; system development 2025–2035

Growing, extracting, and recycling everything you consume.

5–8 years before mission departure (system development); operational throughout the 30-month mission

Power Generation

Nuclear, solar, and the energy backbone of the colony.

5–10 years before first crewed landing; deployment with early cargo missions circa 2035–2038

Science & Exploration

Doing the work that justifies being there.

Months 7–24 of surface stay (approximately 2040–2045 mission window)

Long-Term Colonization

From outpost to permanent settlement.

2060s–2100s and beyond

The centuries-long project to make Mars habitable.

2200s and beyond

Return to Earth

The journey home — if you choose to make it.

Surface departure ~500 days after landing; 7–9 month return transit; total mission duration 900–1,000+ days