The enthusiasm to explore the possibility of life beyond the planet Earth and the curiosity to understand the origin of our solar system are at peak in the 21st century. A top contender in the list of possible hosts to establish future human colonies is Mars.

Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once said, I'd like to die on Mars, just not on impact.

While it has been more than 50 years since humanity landed on another celestial body, the moon, the dream of setting foot on another planet has remained distant so far. And studies have repeatedly shown that if there is any planet on the solar system that can host life beyond Earth, it is the red planetMars. Examining the feasibility of survival of humans on a planet like Mars, a recent study showed that it requires just 110 people to colonise Mars. Moreover, it also hinted at the possibility of humans living in oxygen-filled domes and practice agriculture to sustain life.

This artist's concept shows an astronaut on Mars, as viewed through the window of a spacecraft. NASA is returning astronauts to the Moon and will test technology there that will be useful for sending the first astronauts to the Red Planet.

But before colonizing it is important to understand the atmospheric and geological conditions on Mars, which further holds the key to designate it as a habitable planet. Over the past few decades, there have been several exploration missions including Indias Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan to understand conditions over Mars, and an increasing number of countries are all set to send more spacecraft towards the red planet.

The existence of water on Mars depends on the atmospheric conditions, and as of now, the atmosphere is so thin that on the surface of Mars, water does not exist. Therefore, as of today, life on the Martian surface is totally ruled out. We are yet to find conclusive evidence of life on Mars. Yet, we believe that it held water once, and hence, there could have been life too, said Dr Abhay Deshpande, a Senior Scientist working for the Government of India and avid astronomy enthusiast.

Between July 20 to 30, three countriesthe United States, China and the United Arab Emirates are launching robotic explorer missions to Mars. This particular time frame is important to embark on a roughly seven-month-long journey, as only during this window Mars will be closest to Earth. In October 2020, the red planet will come closest to the blue planet at just over 62 million kilometres, almost half the average distance of 104 million km. It is estimated that once every 2 years, Earth and Mars line-up and therefore the next cost-effective launch is possible only in 2022.

In the past, NASA has sent about five rover missions to the planet, but for UAE its first attempt to take a flight to Mars. Chinas first orbiter mission to Mars, Yinghuo-1, was launched in November 2011 but failed to leave Earths orbit.

On July 20, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency, successfully launched its Mars orbiter mission named Hope after several delays. The mission was launched from Japan. Earlier, the launch was scheduled for July 15 or July 17 but was postponed due to bad weather conditions.

Now, the Hope probe will join the six other orbiters that orbit Mars. The main aim of the mission is to study the planets thin atmosphere. The other main goals include the study of the planets climate dynamicshow Mars loses hydrogen and oxygen from its atmosphere. The most ambitious goal is to create a global map of Mars atmospherethe first by any nation in the world.

Its the first interplanetary mission for the UAE space agency, which was announced back in 2014. The spacecraft will reach the red planet in February 2021.

The National Space Administration of China has named its upcoming Mars rover mission as Tianwen-1meaning heavenly questions in Chinese. The maiden rover mission to Mars from China is an all-in-one mission including orbiter, rover and lander onboard Long March 5 rocket.

The main objective of the rover is to detect underground deposits of water, ice with the help of its inbuilt radar system. Moreover, it will also investigate the soil properties of Mars and will collect samples of soil and rocks, which will fly back to Earth through its next such missions by 2030.

The Chinese agency has kept the launch date undisclosedbut as per reports, the launch is slated for July 23 from Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan. It is expected to reach the planet by February 2021.

In addition to a few success stories, the history of space missions is full of failures. But perseverance is what keeps humanity from achieving the unthinkable.

Named on these lines, NASAs Perseverance rover is one of the most anticipated launches in recent times. The launch of the mission has already been postponed twice by the space agency. Now, another launch window is set for July 30 and is open only till August 15 for a successful journey.

In this illustration, NASA's Mars 2020 rover uses its drill to core a rock sample on Mars.

If all works out as planned the rover will land on the Martian soil on February 18, 2021, in Mars Jezero crater. The crater is a prime location as it can reveal the clues of past microbial life. Besides, rover, it is the first time a helicopter will be used to study the planet.

NASA has set four main goals of the mission, which starts from determining if life ever existed on Mars. Through this mission, NASA is also planning to kick-start the preparation for future human exploration to Mars. The rover is specifically designed to seek signs of past microbial life, while the former NASA rover InSight played a key role in confirming the habitable conditions. The rover will also drill the Martian soil and collect rock samples for further scientific studies.

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Mars Lays Red Carpet: Three Earthly Visitors Take Flight Towards the Red Planet Within 11 Days - The Weather Channel