SpaceX boss Elon Musk has said that later this year or in early 2013 he will announce a plan to offer flights to Mars and back for half a million dollars, hopefully within the next decade.
In an interview with the BBC, Musk said that the final pieces of the plan had now been sorted out, and he was confident SpaceX could set up a reusable rocket system that could fly to the Red Planet, land, refuel, and return safely within cost. His ultimate goal is to set up a self-sustaining colony on Mars to ensure the continuing spread of the human species.
That's not going to happen with current chemical rocket based technology. The round trip flight times are too long for human physiology to endure without serious, even life threatening health effects. To read more, click here.