Mars will become a major target for human space explorers in the next 50 years, experts from the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation say. According to Energia's President and Chief Designer Vitaly Lopota, Mars is the only planet in the solar system that is suitable for colonization.

During his speech at the International Aerospace Congress in Moscow on Tuesday, Lopota said that unlike Venus, the conditions on Mars are fairly comfortable as it provides a sufficient supply of water and its atmospheric pressure makes up one hundredth of the Earth's.

In contrast, Venus' pressure is twice higher than the Earth's, and its surface temperature is about 500 degrees centigrade.

Since the planets surrounding Mars are ice planets, their colonization is impossible, Lopota said.

Source: Voice of Russia