The Mars Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 that advocates for the human exploration and settlement of Mars. It aims to promote public interest in space exploration and to support research and development of technologies necessary for human missions to the red planet. The organization conducts various educational programs, conferences, and outreach activities to inspire future generations. The Mars Society also operates the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, where researchers and volunteers simulate living and working on Mars. This facility helps to gather data on the challenges of long-duration space missions and contributes to the planning of future manned missions to Mars.