Can humans immigrate to Mars without changing their own DNA? -

If humans are to live on Mars as we do on Earth, we may have to become less "human." A crewed mission to the Red Planet is scheduled to be launched by NASA in the 2030s, unless Bezos or Musk can do it sooner. This journey is not easy or fun for the astronauts. After all, they will have to endure high radiation exposure, bone-damaging microgravity, and other negative effects that pile up on them for years on end.

According to NASA's plan, even if the worst happens, the pioneers should still maintain the physical ability to return to Earth. Those who will stay on Mars forever, however, are a different story entirely. Experts believe that if people want to live permanently on Mars, we will have to make some changes to our species' genetic code.

According to Kennedy Lynch, an astrobiologist and geomicrobiologist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, if people want to live, thrive and raise families on Mars, genetic engineering and other advanced technologies It has to work. Scientists have conducted some experiments on the genes of slow-moving animals known for their ability to survive the vacuum of space, testing whether they are compatible with the human genome. As a result, the altered cells became more resistant to radiation, which was a huge win for the mission. NASA and other space agencies are already looking into different ways to protect astronauts' well-being, including special shields on spacecraft. In addition to futuristic technologies, certain pharmacological drugs are under development.

Imagine if there were no other options and gene splicing was the only way for our species to move forward and evolve? Perhaps after hundreds of years of selective breeding, we will be fully adapted to the harsh climate of the Red Planet. Genetic engineering does more than protect astronauts and colonists. We can make super soldiers! Are you kidding... or am I? Regardless, radiation-proof potatoes and juicy Martian tomatoes sound like things we need to figure out before setting foot on another planet.

Such experiments can be tested and tweaked in the laboratory, making it easier for our future colonists to create the right conditions for survival on alien planets—while looking a little alien on the outside.