Something is bothering me. They say that Mars has no magnetic field and we know that a planet must be protected by a magnetic field against the CME (Corona Mass Ejection.)
If Mars has no magnetic field, what will protect a living organism on its surface when the Sun will get angry? Another thing, if Mars has no magnetic field, it's either its cores are non metallic or if they are, they're simply not rotating and if they're not rotating, they don't supply any output and the planet surface is left unprotected against the CME.

I think that the first thing mankind must think about primarily is how to protect any future colony against asteroid fallout and CME, unless all of our settlements will be undergrounded. Who knows! Maybe in the future we will find a way to restart the planet cores (if they are static) and restore the Magnetic field, then, we will be able to reengineer the Atmosphere and make the planet's surface suitable for human settlement.

F or the time now, I don't see the usefulness of going on Mars, if not for the prestige. Why not go to the moon and use it as a training platform for more deeper space exploration. In fact, the Moon has everything we need for our planetery exploration training. It is a planet and as such is supposed to be rich in resources. Why risking a long trip to practically deep space without a permanent settlement on the moon. If something goes wrong at least a rescue mission will have a four hundred thousand kms head start and much weaker gravity to deak with on its way out. Unless, as they say, we never made it to the moon and we still don't know how to deal with the Van Hallen belt. 

 power plant is dead.

they can't make a manned flight to mars because they never reached the moon. why do you think they never made it to the moon since last century? the answer is simple: because it is impossible. there is a van allen radiation belt litlle further from earth which humans can't cross because the radiation would be too great over there. you would see shooting stars with your eyes closed! the aircraft would have to be very thick to pass through this belt that is why only unmanned vehicles can be sent. watch the movie moon landing hoax and it will show you that gagarin never made it to space!

Why go to Mars before making trip to Moon a more perfunctory action? Besides, Moon is much closer and making a permanent base there would help to improve space technologies needed for a very complicated Mars mission (later in the future).

I believe that any of the leading space nations (China, Japan, Russia) could get to the Moon in a relatively short term, say 2 years, if they would really decide to do that. I think US wouldn't be able to get to the Moon that quickly (say, 3-5 years) due to NASA has already become an ineffective, money-eating organization (some private US contractors could do that more efficiently).

MikeNZ, you hit the nail on the head. Mars is a useless little planet with nothing to offer. I don't see people rushing to colonise the Peruvian Atacama Desert, and that benighted bleak-scape is a tropical paradise compared to the Red Planet. Mars should be exlored only by robots. Instead of spending USD100 billion (at a minimum) we could send 30-40 advanced robots like the recently launched MSL. Vastly greater scientific return per dollar spent, and zero risk of loss of human life. Instead of a folder of holiday snaps in one location we would get detailed ground truth in dozen of locations. You don't need be a barin surgeon to determine the best course of action.

It is a desolate nasty cold little planet hardly worth looking at.
You cannot live there without resources sent from Earth.
You cannot refine minerals or iron easily, due to the lack of carbon, and you will end up living in a tiny below ground air controlled box with limited food, and lots of rock shileding to protect you from cosmic radiation.

Ge tting there with conventional technologies will give you near 1000 mSv in dose ...  so there is no return trip at that dose rate - and 90% of those there will die of cancer.
Over 100 mSv you have severe reproductive damage.

Mars?   Forget it!

If we reach to the red planet, it is the success of the our generation.

Most people just aren't aware of it.  While most of the youth whose parents been studying how to sell insurance and the latest Snooki fads the scientists have been studying space. 

A joined mission to Mars by the worlds leading space explorers is something that would benefit all of humanity. One country shouldn't try to get there first, but all countries could co-fund it. And when the time for a manned mission comes all space exploring countries should give one man each and make it a huge step for humanity! 

Russia is still stuck in the 1960s space tech. Dont see them coming along. China now has a better looking program than Russia, very sad. And America, well its still number 1.

Well realized Pace. Seeking space is like seeking heaven in that conditions and issues on earth are ignored or worse, abused with the excuse of a grander goal.  It is, procrastinating what must be done on earth with a phoney excuse.  This is the epitomy of  narcistic man. And more technology ahead of ourselves, ireversible. If we could all take the one issue of peace on earth, and focus.  All these fragmented groups ALL concentrate on eliminating war. We are doing a 1/2 job on Peace, as if it requires maybe 1/2 hour a day of thought. Results are also 1/2. Stop the world for the sake of peace.  When the wheels of money stop the war mongers will listen.

Mankind because of ungodly waist resources, power, energy no Biblical references as to what’s to be achieved on this program man is limited within what’s is to control & achieve in this is world: Genesis {1:26} And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. {1:27} So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. {1:28} And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. {1:29} And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. {1:30} And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so. {1:31} And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. {2:1} Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. The benefit of mankind can only be achieved on earth, is given only permission to dwell on earth and control. Every other planets surrounded the earth are only to protect the earth. The world is short of food, drugs and there are many disasters diseases, pollution this areas needs interventions.

My gov't (U.S) is too worried about war and weapon sales to fund any space exploration project it seems.  Goodbye humanity.