# Humans May Reach Mars After Robots Make Them Unnecessary by Martin Rees > “Robotic techniques are advancing fast, but the cost gap between manned and unmanned missions remains huge, so the need for people is diminishing. Nonetheless, I hope that some people now living will walk on Mars—maybe not for practical goals, but as a magnificent adventure and as a step towards the stars.” > **— Martin Rees**, *The geckos sent into orbit died, but don’t give up on life in space just yet, The Guardian, 2014* ## Sources and Context - **Direct publication and full context:** [The geckos sent into orbit died, but don’t give up on life in space just yet](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/03/geckos-life-in-space-post-humans-interstellar) — The linked publication contains the quoted passage and its surrounding argument. - **Master research record:** [[research/Martin Rees on Machine Succession, Post-Human Intelligence, and the Cosmic Future|Martin Rees on Machine Succession, Post-Human Intelligence, and the Cosmic Future]] — preserves this object inside the open Martin Rees source dossier. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/MARS|MARS]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Last Migration Will Not Be Human|The Last Migration Will Not Be Human]] - **Article:** [[articles/Breakaway Space Habitat Infrastructure?|Breakaway Space Habitat Infrastructure?]] - **Article:** [[articles/We Are "Going" to Mars through the Marsification of Earth|We Are Going to Mars through the Marsification of Earth]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Space Exploration|Space Exploration]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Human Spaceflight|Human Spaceflight]] - [[wiki/Marsification|Marsification]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Robotic techniques are advancing fast, but the cost gap between manned and unmanned missions remains huge, so the need for people is diminishing. Nonetheless, I hope that some people now living will walk on Mars—maybe not for practical goals, but as a magnificent adventure and as a step towards the stars.” — Martin Rees, The geckos sent into orbit died, but don’t give up on life in space just yet, The Guardian, 2014 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-martin-rees-humans-reach-mars-after-robots ```