What does the future hold?

The great beyond beckons, and humanity has its sights set on manned missions, moons, Mars, massive telescopes…and a metallic asteroid. In the half-century since mankind set foot on the Moon, the race to colonize space is finally on; government agencies no longer reign supreme as private companies jockey for position. Mars is the belle of the space ball, with no fewer than five countries sending robotic emissaries in the next few years. Here are some of the most exciting developments in space exploration on the docket.