We should explore Mars for many different reasons. Space is the final frontier of exploration. What better place to start than Mars, the closest planet? Mars is a lot like the earth. It has ice caps at its poles. Its day is about as long as ours. Mars also has canyons and mountains, similar to Earth. We also think Mars may have had water in earlier stages of development.

We should explore Mars for new medicines. There could be cures for many "incurable" diseases, including AIDS and cancer! Our planet is also getting overcrowded. If we could eventually build a space colony there, many people could move there. Mars might also have life that we could study, or communicate with.

Mars also could help us find some of the secrets of the development of our planet. Mars may hold valuable minerals which could be very useful. We could find a new energy source that would be very valuable. We should also explore Mars out of pure curiosity, since the days of Orson Wells and his "War of the Worlds" (which caused much hysteria), people have wondered about Mars. We have just begun our journey into the Solar System and with new information and data being revealed every day, we should definitely explore our neighbor and fellow terrestrial planet. u