10 Predictions About The Future Star Trek Probably Got Wrong

10. Circa 2032: The Chances Of Anyone Going To Mars

Mars has been a source of fascination for humanity since ancient times, hence the name. In the 19th century, astronomers thought they had discovered a system of 'canals' on the surface, sparking a proliferation of popular sci-fi literature about Martian inhabitants. These days, Curiosity, Perseverance, and Ingenuity are just the latest in a line of Mars missions looking for life and scouting out the potential for human expeditions.

Star Trek has made no exception to science-(fiction)'s interest in the Red Planet. In the Star Trek: Voyager episode One Small Step, we learned that humans had already begun crewed missions by the year 2032. What was reasonable optimism with about 33 years of leeway at the end of the '90s seems a lot less likely now that it's only nine years away.

Sure, there's still a lot of talk about setting foot on our near-ish neighbour, but sending humans to Mars is a lot more complicated than just X marks the spot. The journey would be a solar flux-filled nightmare, landing could be catastrophic, and astronauts would have to survive in a thin, oxygen-less atmosphere and contend with freezing temperatures, low gravity, and a good dose of surface radiation. All that might be too much to ask for 2032.