We are living through a golden age of Solar System exploration. In 2021 alone, three new spacecraft have arrived at the Red Planet: NASA's Perseverance rover, China's Zhurong rover and UAE's Hope orbiter.
But why is Mars so fascinating, and why are we so keen to study it? Planetary scientist Emily Lakdawalla reveals why Mars is our favourite place to put rovers and orbiters, and what the future might hold for Solar System exploration.
Listen to more episodes of the Radio Astronomy podcast.