Mars is barred: why we shouldn't go to the red planet – Science Weekly podcast

Elon Musk believes we should colonise Mars to ensure the survival of the human race. But is this reasoning compelling enough? Hannah Devlin ponders the case against setting our sites on Mars

On Tuesday, 6 February 2018, SpaceX launched the first ever test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket. On board was a red Tesla car complete with a dummy driver affectionately named Starman. Starman's original destination was Mars. However, the dummy test pilot overshot its orbit and sped past the red planet, SpaceX founder Elon Musk later confirmed. Starman is now cruising through the asteroid belt.

The test flight serves as a reminder that this rocket could be used to take people to Mars - a vision that Musk believes is important to ensure the survival of the human race should a third world war break out. But is this reasoning compelling enough? Should humans go to Mars at all?