A second part of my discussion with Danny Hoyland on Saturday was about whether bases will really be established on the Moon and if people will ever make it to Mars.

There is a serious amount of research and development going into both and I have no doubt it will happen. It’s just a question of time.

From developing new rockets (SpaceX and Blue Origin in addition to NASA and the like) to thinking about how to live when we get there – and everything in between – there’s a huge effort to get humans off the Earth.

I know a little bit about this because I am working with Boswell Technologies, who is thinking about how to get into space, how to live when we get there and what that means for us back on Earth.

Professor Rod Boswell is a physicist at the ANU and is building a new testing facility for moon habitation as well as new propulsion technologies.

It’s a three metre vacuum dome that is trying to overcome some of the obstacles of living on the Moon before we even leave the Earth. There’s more information about the dome and the work of his lab (including how to communicate with a moon base) on his blog and website.

I’m also sure humans will make it to Mars. My nine year-old god-daughter is determined to be the first woman on Mars, and trust me this kid is pretty gritty. If anyone is going to make it happen, Ellie will.