Astronaut Dreams of Setting up Human Colony on Mars

by Rutu Ladage , IndiaTimes | April 8, 2013, 10:00 am IST

The second man to walk the moon, Buzz Aldrin, has plans of taking not just on a tour to Mars but setting up human colonies on the red planet over the next 2 decades. Given the chance, the US astronaut would like to set up a colony for humans by mid-2030 as reported by an Australian news site.

Now imaging having your home here. Wouldn't the view be worth it?Mars

In an interview with the site, Aldrin assented that he wishes to spread the love for astronomy among kids and would like to make the younger generation more aware of what is going on outside the Earth.

Aldrin’s plans are not mere castles in the air but the legendary astronaut has outlined them in detail in his new book. Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong to the moon in 1969 in what has now become a legendary walk. However, the walk was definitely not enough for Aldrin with him having set sights on the next biggest space mission, the one to Mars. Aldrin’s love for astronomy and his eagerness to continue in the space he so loves is manifest through his grand plans.

The famous astronaut is not only planning a colony on Mars but also plans to send an Australian to space next year! On being asked about commercial travel to space, he says: "We're already seeing commercial space travel become a reality and I think this will continue to grow and become less expensive as technology improves. I want to eventually see commercial flights that orbit the earth.”, in his interview with the site. One Australian will be granted a seat aboard the Lynx spacecraft to be taken more than 100km into space.

The winner will be chosen from a select group of people who will all undergo intensive training for the program. The budding astronauts will have to undergo a series of sessions which include G-Centrifuge, Zero G Flight, The Astronaut Assault Course among a few with finally being judged on their team-spirit, courage, love for adventure and enthusiasm.

And an office here. Or perhaps a school for your kids? Imaging having a never-ending playground!mars surface

Though it has been a long, long time since he ventured out of Earth, the astronaut has not lost touch with his roots. He still loves astronomy and wishes to pass on the love to as many as possible. Also, he is constantly in news and keeps talking about his experiences ensuring they never fade or go out of mind. According to him: "For the most part and doing many interviews about it over the years helps to keep the memories fresh because you talk about it so often. It's a pretty memorable event though and I think most of my Apollo peers would probably remember most details of their own missions."

We definitely appreciate the fact that Aldrin is trying to make once the stuff of sci-fi a reality. The future with Mars being Earth’s sister planet thriving with plants and humans seems pretty close now!