There are several strategic , practical and scientific reasons for humans to explore Mars . Among them we know that Mars is the most accessible place in the solar system . Additionally , exploring Mars provides the opportunity to possibly answer origin and evolution of life questions , and could someday be a destination for survival of humankind .
From a practical perspective we know that Mars is unique across the entire solar system in that it is a terrestrial planet with an atmosphere and climate , its geology is known to be very diverse and complex ( like Earth ), and it appears that the climate of Mars has changed over its history ( like Earth ).
Overall , many of the key questions in solar system science can be addressed effectively by exploring Mars . This endeavor also serves to inspire the next generation of explorers and dramatically expand human knowledge .