Which Space Agency Will Win the Race to Mars?

For as long as humans have dreamed of visiting other planets, they’ve also dreamed of one day living on another planet. Now that private companies are exploring space, it’s easy to ask, Which company will win the race to Mars? The answer is really more complicated than that. Each company has different goals and strategies when it comes to getting people to Mars, so the winner will ultimately be decided by which plan results in the most success. Let’s break down the three major players—NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin—and see what their plans are for getting humans to Mars.

NASA

With a budget of $19.3 billion in 2013, NASA remains one of our nation’s most significant investments in space travel. While China, India and Russia have all announced plans for lunar missions and space programs, NASA has centered its efforts on Mars. The agency is currently developing a new heavy-lift rocket (the Space Launch System) to help carry astronauts into deep space, as well as working with private companies like SpaceX on commercial flights back and forth from Earth.

SpaceX

Elon Musk’s space company was originally conceived with a larger focus on supporting life on Earth, but he has since shifted his vision more toward developing reusable rockets, so he can reduce spaceflight costs and potentially send humans to other planets. One of SpaceX’s recent accomplishments included sending a Dragon capsule up into orbit (the first time in history it had ever been done), then having it re-enter Earth’s atmosphere after delivering cargo to and from the International Space Station.

Blue Origin

In 2014, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announced his company, Blue Origin, would attempt to land a reusable rocket on a sea barge. In November 2015, after four years of test flights—and with no small amount of media attention—the company succeeded in its goal and landed its New Shepard vehicle on solid ground. The feat was impressive not only because it’s never been done before but also because it was largely done in secret.

China National Space Administration (CNSA)

CNSA is an agency of China’s State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. It is a branch of China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation (CASIC), one of two conglomerates owned by the Chinese state. CNSA has already announced its plan to launch a lunar sample-return mission in 2017—the first time it will have attempted such a feat. The agency also intends to send a rover and lander with drilling capabilities to Mars by 2020.

The European Space Agency (ESA)

Based in Paris and with member states including 19 of Europe’s 28 countries, ESA is a European Union (EU) organization dedicated to promoting space research. Since its founding in 1975, ESA has developed and launched a series of successful missions, including high-profile ones like Rosetta’s landing on comet 67P Churyumov–Gerasimenko and satellite observation missions like Envisat.

Other/all agencies

But as government-funded agencies, it’s important to note that NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin are all subject to oversight from their respective governments. It’s possible that these missions will be canceled if funding is cut for one reason or another—though we hope not! While private companies can potentially raise a lot of money in a relatively short amount of time, it’s unlikely they could pull together enough funds for a manned mission in such a short amount of time.