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NASA released a stunning video on February 22, 2021, showcasing the impressive landing of the Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. For China, 2021 was also a significant year with their first Mars exploration mission.
Venus is approximately 108.2 million kilometers from the Sun, Earth is about 149.6 million kilometers away, and Mars is approximately 227.94 million kilometers from the Sun. It takes about 100 days to travel from Earth to Venus and about 180 days to travel from Earth to Mars. In terms of distance, Venus is closer to Earth than Mars, but Mars is the planet that humans have explored the most extensively.
Exploring Venus
In fact, Venus was the first planet in human history that successfully launched spacecraft missions. Several missions aimed to explore Venus.
In the 1860s, the Soviet Union and the United States attempted to send spacecraft, Venera 1 and Mariner 1, respectively, to Venus, but both missions failed.
Later, the U.S. successfully launched the Mariner 2 spacecraft, which passed by Venus and became the first human-made spacecraft to approach Venus. Mariner 2 successfully measured the surface temperature of Venus.
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In the 1870s, the Soviet Union successfully landed a spacecraft on Venus, providing valuable data. However, the extreme conditions on Venus, with a surface temperature of 475°C and an atmospheric pressure 92 times that of Earth, clearly indicated that it was unsuitable for human survival. Landing a probe on Venus was much more challenging compared to Mars.
Mars – Earth’s “Sister Planet”
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Mars has often been referred to as Earth’s “sister planet” due to its physical similarities to Earth. Additionally, the relatively close proximity of Mars to Earth within the reasonable range of solar radiation makes it more attractive.
Like Earth, Mars has its natural satellite, clearly visible “rings,” and distinct “seasons.” The time it takes for Mars to orbit the Sun is 687 days, with a day length just 41 minutes longer than Earth’s.
Moreover, Mars likely had liquid water in the past, as indicated by images from NASA’s Mars exploration missions, showing possible remnants of riverbeds. While there hasn’t been direct evidence of liquid water on Mars, there is a strong possibility that it existed during its early history.
Mars also has a relatively thin atmosphere compared to Earth, which results in fluctuating temperatures. Near the equator, daytime temperatures can reach 20°C, but they drop to approximately -80°C at night. However, these conditions are more tolerable than those on Venus.
Considering the geographical and physical similarities between Mars and Earth, it’s clear why humans prefer exploring Mars over Venus.
Exploring the Essence of Space:
Why do humans want to explore space? On one hand, it’s to understand the universe, and on the other hand, it’s to consider the possibility of human migration to new planets over generations. Clearly, the extreme environmental conditions on Venus, including high temperatures and pressure, are not conducive to human survival.
In fact, humans have already gained significant knowledge about Venus and understand its basic conditions. In comparison to more urgent scientific missions, conducting deeper research on Venus would require a substantial amount of time and resources.
Meanwhile, Mars offers a more hospitable environment for potential life and human exploration. Human knowledge of Mars extends beyond just its temperature, atmosphere, and climate. It includes studying Mars’ interior and investigating past life on the planet. This groundwork is setting the stage for providing more options for future human development. For many scientists, the idea of human civilization on Mars is within reach.
In reality, distance is not the most significant factor in exploring distant planets. What matters more is the difficulty of the mission and its significance. Venus poses harsh challenges, while Mars is more Earth-like in every aspect, making it suitable for human colonization. Therefore, it’s not unreasonable that humans prefer exploring Mars.