Professor Mark Sephton talks space missions and Martian rocks in BBC programme 'How to put a human on Mars'.

In How to put a human on Mars, a short documentary and interactive series to be found on the BBC News Website, the BBC aims to explore the technological and human challenges that space agencies will face when planning the first manned-mission to our red neighbour.

Scientists from Imperial College London have been heavily involved in the program and have helped BBC journalists design a conceptual mission, envisaging a trio of astronauts making the journey to Mars.  

One of these astronauts was no other than the Department of Earth Sciences and Engineering's Professor Mark Sephton, who jumped into his space suit for the documentary. Watch Professor Sephton talk about what an astronaut might expect to find on the surface of Mars, what challenges he or she may face, and why he thinks humans can achieve much more than robots when unveiling the secrets of the red planet.