Almost 50 years ago, in 1969, humans first walked on the Moon. Since then, going deeper into space has been difficult. Speaking at a science festival in Norway last month, Stephen Hawking, the famous British physicist, said humans have to speed up space science progress. He said people should also begin preparing to live on other planets.

Stephen Hawking is famous for researching black holes. He is also well-known for explaining difficult ideas in physics to regular people. His book A Brief History of Time was a best-seller. He is now 75 years old and is still a Professor at the University of Cambridge.

In his speech, Hawking explained his ambitious plan. He said astronauts should return to the Moon within the next three years, and go to Mars soon after that. People should be able to live on the moon within just 30 years.

“I am convinced that humans need to leave Earth,” Hawking said. He pointed out several factors that could make life on Earth difficult or even impossible: too many people, too few resources, and global warming. “We are running out of space, and the only places to go are other worlds.” He also said that one day a giant rock from space could hit the Earth, and humans will need space colonies to survive.

Hawking said that moving into space could also help humans still on Earth. Setting up space colonies will require many scientists and lots of money. Countries would have to work together. Hawking said he hopes space projects will “unite competitive nations in a single goal”.

Hawking’s plan is ambitious, but he is not alone in his goals. The head of the European Space Agency said last year that a Moon colony could be possible in about 20 years. His agency is already partnering with Russia to look for sites. This year, the US government promised NASA over $19 billion (about ¥2.1 trillion) to help support their goal of sending humans to Mars within about 30 years.

Some rich company presidents are also joining in. Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, is trying to beat NASA to Mars. He said he wants to launch a robot by 2024. Richard Branson, President of the Virgin Group, will launch his company’s first space flights this year (and in fact, Stephen Hawking is scheduled to ride in one).

“It is clear we are entering a new space age,” Hawking said in his speech. He admits that there is a lot of work to do before humans can build space colonies. However, he says he “hopes for the best”. Hawking will continue to discuss his ideas in a BBC television show, Expedition New Earth, later this summer.

About 50 years ago, in 1969, humans first walked on the Moon. Since then, going farther into space has been difficult. Speaking at a science event in Norway last month, Stephen Hawking, the famous British scientist, said humans have to speed up space research. He said people should also prepare to live on other planets.

Stephen Hawking is famous for researching space. He is also well-known for explaining difficult scientific ideas to regular people. One of his books was a best-seller. He is now 75 years old. He still works at the University of Cambridge.

At the science event last month, Hawking explained his plan. He said humans should return to the Moon within the next three years. Then, people should go to Mars soon after that. People should be able to live on the moon within just 30 years.

Hawking said he thinks humans must leave Earth. He pointed out several things that could make life on Earth difficult. Some problems are, for example, too many people, not enough water and food, and global warming. Hawking said, “We are running out of space, and the only places to go are other worlds.” He also said that one day a giant rock from space could hit the Earth. If that happens, humans will need space colonies to live.

Hawking said that moving into space could also help humans still on Earth. Setting up space colonies will need many scientists and lots of money. Countries will have to work together. Hawking said he hopes all countries will work to help each other.

Other people share Hawking’s goals. Last year, the head of the European Space Agency said that a Moon colony could be possible in about 20 years. His agency is already working with Russia and looking for sites. This year, the US government said they will give NASA over $19 billion (about ¥2.1 trillion). This money is to help with NASA’s goals. NASA wants to send humans to Mars within about 30 years.

Some rich company presidents are also joining in. Elon Musk, the creator of Tesla, is trying to get to Mars. He said he wants to send a robot by 2024. Richard Branson, President of the Virgin Group, will also start his company’s first space tours this year.

Hawking said that “a new space age” is starting. He said that there is a lot of work to do before humans can build space colonies. However, he hopes for good results. Hawking will explain his ideas more in a BBC television show later this summer.