Whereas the Earth’s surface is continually changing, Mars’s basic topography has not altered much in a few billion years.
Because the air is so thin, airplanes would need a much larger wingspan to fly on Mars than on Earth. A solar-powered aircraft would require tremendous surface area and might be too expensive to deploy for recreational purposes. We probably will not see tourists flying through Martian canyons like they do over the Grand Canyon. But balloons and blimps could be a viable means of transportation, in spite of the low temperature and low atmospheric pressure. They could explore the Martian terrain at much closer distances than orbiters, yet still cover vast areas of the surface. One day, fleets of balloons and blimps may be a regular sight over the geologic wonders there.
