Human history is marked by migration, exploration, and adaptation. This article argues that permanent settlement on Mars should be understood not as an escape from Earth, but as a long-horizon extension of evolutionary and civilizational strategies for resilience, innovation, and continuity. We pair a conceptual synthesis of literature on human dispersal, cultural evolution, technological revolutions, existential risk, space resources, and governance with an exploratory online survey of 519 respondents in China examining attitudes toward Mars migration over a 200-year horizon. The survey is used as a hypothesis-generating case study illustrating how questions of feasibility, fairness, and so... More >

As humanity enters a transformative era of Mars exploration, guided by NASA's Moon-to-Mars roadmap, rapid advances in commercial spaceflight, and the National Academies' Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars (2025), we approach a pivotal moment in the search for extraterrestrial life. Recent in-situ observations from Jezero crater have produced a potential biosignature in fine-grained sediments, while new laboratory studies indicate that relatively pure Martian ice could preserve organic molecules for geologically significant timescales. Together, these developments elevate the near-term stakes: they sharpen targets, raise the bar for planetary protection, and intensify public a... More >

This inaugural editorial introduces the Journal of Humanity’s Future in the Cosmos, outlining its interdisciplinary vision, scope, and mission to advance research that supports the long-term survival and flourishing of intelligent life—on Earth and beyond. More >