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Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars? episode artwork

Mar 26, 2026 53 min

Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars?

from Open to Debate Hosted by Open to Debate

NASA is preparing for the Artemis II mission — a major step back into deep space to explore the Moon. But as NASA, SpaceX, and other private companies are also working on plans to make Mars humanity’s next frontier, what comes next, and should Mars be the bigger priority? Those arguing “yes” say the U.S. should do it first before China, while opponents say major challenges make colonization unrealistic. Now we debate: Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars? Arguing Yes: Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica Arguing No: Shannon Stirone, Freelance Science Writer Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Join the conversation on Substack - share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates.

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Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars?

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This episode was published on March 26, 2026.

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