I think we should just for the sake of saying we went there, the spirit of discovery. An accomplishment like putting a man/woman on Mars would cement the NASA space program in the minds of interested parties as a program that can move forward and achieve the seemingly impossible.The world is ready to find a new place, a new imagination machine, a new idea for children to dream about.
I would be the first to sign up to go if NASA needs an underqualified volunteer.
If it were only as easy as this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjcCF6cIlPw
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How do sustain people on a 14 year trip?
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I agree that we should just do it for the technical challenge and technical advancement that provides us, but from a more practical standpoint, we, as humans, must get out of our solar system at some point in the future if we want to survive as a race. We have several billion years until our sun expands and engulfs the earth, but we might as well get started because interstellar travel is a difficult task.

With that in mind, traveling to the Moon or Mars is the logical next step towards this and I'm all for it.
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A man on Mars? hmm..... Well, I suppose when we find out all about the surface, weather, and all conditions on Mars I think it would be great to put a man on Mars, but like everything else it will probably take a while to get to that point. I would love to see the footage of that and be like my grandpa seeing the first man on the moon... so maybe when we know all to know...
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I watched Buzz on CNN today and agree with him. It is the next logical step for the history of mankind. We are inching ever closer to it anyway so it's only a matter of time.
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I believe yes, for a few reasons. Some people may think that NASA is a waste of money and there is no importance to it... I disagree because not only are we just exploring, we are also researching. We need better solar panels, batteries, efficient engines, etc. The only way we achieve these is by research. I firmly believe that if we did not cut NASA funding, we would have greener technology today like maybe you laptop battery could last for a day because research has created more efficient computers and better batteries that can hold a charge much longer.
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I never thought Buzz Aldrin would ever put me off any aspect of space exploration, but he's succeeded in doing just that!

Two things about his arguments turn me off...

1) He's saying the US should take part in international efforts to explore the Moon, but go for Mars on its own. The last thing the world needs is more of this "I'm better than you, and I'm going to prove it by going to Mars" rubbish.

2) He backs up his arguments with improbable theories about what we might learn from exploring Mars. e.g. Finding still existing life, learning about climate change etc. Maybe not impossible but very very unlikely.

Despite all that, I would support an effort to go to Mars. I'd strongly prefer it to be an international effort, though of course the US would have a big part to play.

I wouldn't do it for any "practical" benefit. There may or may not be any.

I'd do it purely because I value exploration and adventiure for their own sake.

And if the project can be used as a focus for global cooperation as well, so much the better.
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Simple answer is yes, we should.

Not just A man; I believe it would be a man and a woman or even more. We know space is not just for men anymore. (I guess you meant mankind; so to be gender neutral I would use Human).

Here is Why:

In Mahalo terminology, putting a human on Mars is like “a white belt with yellow tip to reach a Black belt level (n)” in the space exploration.

We cant just ignore what's out there, and leave it untouched; that's not the Human nature.

In this forum, many have opinionated that space exploration is a wasteful spending of tax payers’ money. If you explore the space exploration itself, you can realize the real benefits.

Space economy does help boost the economy by creating new jobs and keeping the existing jobs in so many supporting industries. Space exploration is not just burning the money. Only a small percentage in material value leaves the earth and retains the remaining valuable assets on the earth. To list a few:

- The invaluable scientific knowledge,
- Supporting businesses and jobs,
- Many technology spin offs that further help the economy
- Many related products that provide a better quality of life and
- The very future of the human race and extra terrestrial/extra solar colonization (long shot though)

Should we it alone or as an international effort – is the question. I would say to make it economically viable is to team up with the international space programs from leading countries.

I think the effort is already underway to train people for a long inter planetary voyage and I believe that it will be a joint program.

Time frame:

Though it took only 10 years to put the first man on the moon that too in the beginning stages of the space program/race, plan for a Human on Mars has already taken a very long time for obvious reasons - distance, cost, human survivability during the long voyage, etc. But I believe by 2025, if not earlier, human will set foot on the surface of the planet Mars.

I think a Mars program with NASA playing a major part along with ESA, JSA, Roskosmos, ISRO and CNSA will make it a viable program and put the target much closer.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MARS-500

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i think man on mars would be a monumental moment in history. it might bring nations together , it would show what great feats can be done by humans. i would hope to see this in my lifetime, or at the most before 2100
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Yes we should and I don't know why we haven't since the 60's. Some shows even debate whether or not we have actually landed there to begin with.
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