Buzz Aldrin Wants Humans On Mars By 2040

Buzz Aldrin has confirmed he is developing "a master plan" for colonising Mars within the next 25 years.

The 85-year-old, who was the second man to walk on the moon during the first manned mission in 1969, is becoming a research professor of aeronautics at the Florida Institute of Technology.

He wants a Mars settlement to be achieved by 2039, as it would mark 70 years since the Apollo 11 moon landing. However, he has conceded that the schedule is "adjustable".

Aldrin believes that Mars' two moons, Deimos and Phobos, would act as stepping stones before astronauts set foot on the Red Planet.

However, he rejected the notion that they would be embarking on a "one-way" trip, and suggested a tour of duty could last for 10 years.

The former astronaut is hopeful NASA will accept his "master plan", which could be realised with support from the international community.

NASA is already developing the rockets and spacecraft which could take astronauts to Mars by the mid-2030s, comfortably within Aldrin's proposed timeline.

The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute is due to open in the autumn and at an event announcing his bold ambitions for Mars, there were several light-hearted references to the celebrity appearances he has made in recent years.

In introducing Aldrin, Florida Tech's executive vice president, T Dwayne McCay, said: "Everyone knows what Buzz Aldrin is most famous for, and that's being a contestant on Dancing With The Stars."

Aldrin corrected him, saying: "Big Bang Theory."