More than 50 years after we sent humans to the moon – the closest celestial body to Earth – the plan is still to head to Mars. Despite the fact humankind has been unable to send anyone to another place in the universe besides the moon, there are still many with the hopes and expectation that we will become a multi-planetary species in the near future, starting with our red next-door neighbor. Billionaire entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and aspiring young astronauts like Alyssa Carson, a sophomore studying astrobiology at Florida Tech, hope to one day live on Mars. But how feasible is that? Do we want to settle on a planet where we can't even breathe?

In this episode, host Claire Thornton and USA TODAY Space Reporter Rachael Joy discuss Mars exploration and the arguments for and against settling the red planet.

Rachael explains how NASA has been preparing to send humans to Mars for decades. When the Mars Perseverance rover lands on Mars on February 18th, we may be one step closer to that goal.

Keep up with the latest news from the space coast at floridatoday.com and follow Rachael Joy on Twitter @Rachael_Joy.