This astronaut says we're not ready for Mars

In an upcoming BBC program, Stephen Hawking has a new message for humanity: Get off Earth within the next 100 years or perish. In order to survive as a species, humans must colonize other planets.

But Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has previously said that humans just aren't ready to live on other worlds. In 2015, he visited Business Insider to discuss his thoughts on where humans will go next and why.

Hadfield became a mainstream figure thanks to his YouTube videos from space and wide social media presence. Now retired, Hadfield is the best-selling author of "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth."

[gonzaminator]

People, he's not saying we shouldn't go to mars just that there's no rush for it.

[topdog]

Well I doubt anyone expected we'd be ready for the moon but we still did it...

[toddmediumwellingtoniii]

humans will be on mars by 2050. How do I know that? Because, of the Simpson's going to mars on that one episode.

[halnineooo]

Antarctica is way more habitable and friendly than Mars, yet no one went to settle there.
Antarctica is near, there is plenty of fresh water, food and ... you can breath the air.
None of that on the radioactive sky desert called Mars.
Who wants to raise his kids there ?

[nicholasthope]

He is quite right actually. We could build a moon base to really prove the concept first before heading to Mars. If something goes wrong, we will be able to reach the moon far faster than Mars.

[ZeWunderwaffen]

I prefer Earth more than Mars because it is where God make humans

[BruceLeefromthegrave]

People get mad when an expert in the subject doesn't say what they want to hear, so they resort to name calling him and discrediting him, despite him pointing out how we lack the technology for a high probability of success and how we could just be sending people to their deaths.
Sad thing is that he's actually part of the few people in our time that is pushing humanity closer to getting on Mars.

[lkrnpk]

For all the Mars enthusiasts out there:
1) gravity is 1/3 of that on Earth, which means your bones would deteriorate without several hours of exercise each day
2) which brings us to second point, child birth - how would that look taking into account Mars gravity, how would children develop inside a womb?

We can deal with all other questions by building underground habitats to shield us from radiation etc. but I am pretty sure microgravity on Mars will fuck heavily with our childbirth process, same way as it fucks with our bones. And nobody will want to stay there, if all the children there are born cripples or with huge deformities. Yes, we can go to Mars to explore and return but colony?? Only for highly advanced robots I'd say, unless we learn how to genetically modify ourselves to live there comfortably.

[xxacjxx]

Our technology isn't ready for space travel just yet. I mean, c'mon, it takes 3 years just to get to a radioactive space desert, while it takes some months to get to a rock. I'll pick rock thank you.

[meettheworld]

Did he say that there was water on the moon???? My mind is like (boom!!)

[alexandersonmei]

Maybe the next Mars landing would be fake

[ParetoESO]

Everyone calling him an idiot is only thinking about their own curiosity. They don't mind rushing it because they won't be the one in the spaceship. Their not the ones putting their life at risk. If they were (like Chris) they would be saying the exact same thing. No need to rush it and risk human lives.

[davidzoo]

Are you guys insane? That man is Chris Hadfield, he's use to be the commander of the international space station.

[Aurora-szby]

I'm a big fan of Elon Musk and you know how much contribution he has on this topic and how much he desires to go to Mars as soon as possible, but I definitely agree with Chris Hadfield. The Mars colonization is not supposed to be just a trip, the main reason they want to go there it's because Earth won't be able anymore to host human life, because it will have become a hell and though a lot of damage has been done to it, it hasn't come to that phase that it is impossible to live here anymore, thus some more working for even more saving wouldn't be bad.

And something more, did tech inside just call one of the greatest astronauts and scientists "This astronaut" like really? "This astronaut"?

[mikety]

And not to mention prudence is important for other reasons as well. We don't know, for example, if life exists on Mars now, but as more data comes in things start to look more and more good. To me, this should be a significant concern bell going off, because if we put down humans there, we don't know what kind of damage that may cause. Future generations may not like it that we ruined our very first shot at seeing ET life, if that were the case. We need to first settle those questions about the existence and nature of any life there to a much higher degree of certainty _before_ we send humans to its surface. In other words, we need prudence, and what this person is talking about is a great addition to that and helps to further bolster and strengthen the case for a more prudent approach to space exploration. And then of course the problem is there are people that then say "oh so you just hate ambition, hate doing anything bold, etc." and to that I say "well do you hate the idea of having a conscience?" I am NOT saying we should NOT EVER go to Mars! I am just saying we need to _slow down and exercise prudence_. Quit thinking about things in either/xor black-and-white terms.

[jcdarrenmusic]

"The earth is getting poisonous" how ironic that we humans say it but we are the one who make the earth "poisonous"

[Jomievolution]

Who's watching this in 2089 from Mars?

[Dan-omno]

this is the first time ive seen this man on earth.

[RealFableFox]

Dear Tech Insider, Chris Hadfield has a name. Why not title the video "Astronaut Chris Hadfield says we're not ready for Mars"?

[lot]

Great guy! Thanks for making this interesting! Good points.