Second closest planet, and the closest (Venus) has temperatures of 870F with sulfuric acid clouds and rain, while Mars has temperatures almost comfortable by comparison
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Mars is the most probable planet to be explored first because it is very close to Earth, and has a less dense atmosphere that the other planet in our vicinity, Venus, which has an atmosphere so dense that it would crush a spacesuit of today's technology. Although space travel of this distance with people aboard would be difficult in the immediate future, it has been predicted in about twenty years. Also, human habitation may be accomplished on Mars even before the Moon, due to it's existing atmosphere and twenty-three hour day. This may be another reason that scientists are looking to Mars as the next great space mission.
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Mainly because it's decently close to the Earth (next one in line from the sun after Earth) but also it appears to be reasonably hospitable. Where the planets like Mercury and Venus are burning hot with deadly gaseous atmospheres, Mars is pretty basic and barren. And there are theories that Mars is like Earth in that it has hidden water supplies and might be able to be converted in to another Earth, though that actually happening is pretty far off.
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It seems to be the easiest planet to work with. You could not explore Venus, because it is so hot that any equipment would melt and even vaporize before even landing. We do not know how to explore gas planets yet, other than pictures of course. Plus the gas planets are much farther away.
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Cheapest to get to. It will only cost a trillion dollars or so to send some poor sod to Mars. The cost would be several times that to visit any other planet.
Cheers!
Cheers!
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It's the most probable to contain life outside of earth in our solar system. One of Saturn's moons is even more promising but much to far away for us right now.
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Because it is much easier and a more pleasant place to visit than is Venus.
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Because it is closest. Venus is out because of its atmosphere.