The Lure of the Red Planet

Mars has yet to (9) .......... up its secrets to humanity, and continues to inspire both awe and ambition in the bold visionaries who dream that one day they shall set (10) .......... upon its enigmatic, rust-coloured terrain. The reality of such an undertaking, however, is unsparing in its severity. Even armed with the (11) .......... advances in twenty-first-century technology (12) .......... science is currently capable of offering, and drawing on the most formidable intellects in the field, a return voyage to Mars would inflict extraordinary hardship (13) .......... whatever crew were selected for the inaugural mission. The principal obstacle would not necessarily be the duration of the journey — (14) .......... only individuals of exceptional dedication and psychological resilience would willingly commit to a mission (15) .......... to span in excess of six years and, furthermore, demand of its participants that they remain (16) .......... of enduring the entire ordeal intact. No — the defining challenge would be the process of adapting to the cramped and hostile conditions aboard the vessel itself.