By 2039 humans will be calling Mars home, if things go according to Buzz Aldrin’s plan.
The second man on the moon is teaming up with the Florida Institute of Technology to develop a master plan to colonize the red planet in less than 25 years. Aldrin chose 2039 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, which first allowed man to walk on the moon.
Aldrin’s plan involves using Mars’ moons as pit-stops for astronauts on the way to the planet. People who arrive on Mars would stay there for at least a decade. He is seeking input from NASA on the plan, though the space agency already has its own initiative to put astronauts on Mars in the mid-2030s.
At the Florida Institute of Technology, Aldrin will be a faculty adviser and research professor for aeronautics. He will also lead the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute, set to open this fall.
PHOTOS: 20 Breathtaking Images of Earth From Space
Aleppo, Syria, May 26, 2013 – The Citadel of Aleppo – medieval fortified palaceDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesBelfast, Northern Ireland, Nov. 3, 2013 – “Wish,” a large-scale art workDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesUtah, USA, April 22, 2013 – Colorado RiverDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesCuanza River, Angola, April 28, 2013 – Cambambe DamDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesDoha, Qatar, March 4, 2013 – Artificial island spanning nearly four million sq meters.DigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesDunalley, Australia, Jan. 6, 2013 – fires, false color image (red = healthy vegetation)DigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesAustralia, April 22, 2013 – Great Barrier ReefDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesGwadar coast, Pakistan Sept. 29, 2013 – new island created by earthquake in PakistanDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesCroatia, Feb. 16, 2013 – Galešnjak (Island of Love)DigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesHong Kong, China May 9, 2013 – giant rubber duckDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesMadang Province, Papua New Guinea, March 22, 2013 – Manam VolcanoDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesNamib Desert, Namibia, May 13, 2013 – Sossusvlie areaDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesNaples, Italy, Feb. 19 2013 – Mount VesuviusDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesNiger, Feb. 13, 2013 – Arlit Uranium MineDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesSchooner Cays, Bahamas, May 26, 2013DigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesSochi, Russia, March 17, 2013 – Site of 2014 winter OlympicsDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesNear the city of Sur, Oman, Feb. 13, 2013 – massive “green tide”DigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesValencia, Spain, July 19, 2013 – Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia and Gulliver Park with an enormous fiberglass model of Lemuel Gulliver trappedDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesVersailles, France, Aug. 20, 2013 – Palace of VersaillesDigitalGlobe—Getty ImagesXi'an, China, Sept. 24, 2013 – Shiyuan Park DigitalGlobe—Getty Images
