I think that the idea of exploring Mars is a really hot topic right now and I do think that in the not too distant future, someone, whether it's the USA or another country, will send people to Mars. The difficult thing is not getting them to Mars, it's keeping them safe while they're there, and then getting them home again! Once you get to Mars, you have to wait many months before you can come home again because of the way the planets line up. During that time, you're exposed to a lot of dangerous stuff coming from the Sun, call the solar wind. Cosmic rays will also be a problem. Despite this, there are so many people working on this problem just now I think it's just a matter of time before someone sets foot on the Red Planet.