Image credit: NASA

As MARS2013 draws to a close and we begin to go over the scientific results and lessons learned, we have also been thinking about some of the broader implications of the mission and about the future of the exploration of Mars.

There is no doubt that a manned mission to Mars will be a momentous undertaking, and will cost a lot of effort, money and other resources. Estimates of cost vary from at least $20  billions to several hundred billions depending on the ambitiousness of the mission.

Many would say that the benefits to be derived from such a mission would far outweigh the costs, and that just like the Apollo program, it represents a crucial step for the continued evolution of the exploration of space.

However, others think that the required resources are not proportionate to the likely return, and that they would be better spent on other endeavours, such as a permanent Moon base or asteroid exploitation.

We’re curious to know what you think: Is a manned mission to Mars worth the cost? Or would it be more efficient to spend the resources elsewhere?

Let us know at our Facebook poll, and and stay tuned for more Mars-related polls in the coming days!