Mission to Mars Necessary for Human Survival, NASA Chief Says

NASA chief Charles Bolden told attendees at the Humans to Mars Summit held Tuesday that a manned mission to Mars is necessary for human survival.

But it's not just Mars. Bolden argued that we need to broaden our scope even further.

"If this species is to survive indefinitely we need to become a multi-planet species," NASA's top administrator said in his address. "We need to go to Mars, and Mars is a stepping stone to other solar systems."

To date, the US has been the only nation to successfully land missions on the Martian surface and since 2000 has invested more than $6 billion in Mars exploration, according to a Science Recorder report.

Bolden outlined a series of "stepping stones" needed before man walks on Mars, including "lassoing" an asteroid into orbit by 2015, growing flora in space and using a 3D printer to build components for onboard repairs.

While this three-year trip to the Red Planet seems unfeasible, Bolden is highly confident.

"With some increases in NASA's budget, we're gonna be able to get to Mars in the 2030s," he boldly claimed.

But, there are tangible reasons why Earth's science community needs to get close to its planetary neighbor.

"For one thing, Mars' formation and evolution are comparable to Earth's and we know that at one time Mars had conditions suitable for life," he told attendees at George Washington University.

"What we learn about the Red Planet may tell us more about our own home planet's history and future and help us answer a fundamental human question - does life exist beyond Earth?"

An ExploreMars poll found that an overwhelming 67 percent of the American public support a manned mission to Mars.

Some question the plan's affordability - a NASA panel made up of experts in the field claim that the trip could be done on a $100 billion budget, PolicyMic reports - but Bolden remains enthused, saying Mars is just "the centerpiece of its next big leap into the unknown."