Nasa, the European Space Agency, SpaceX and China are all in the race to "multi-planet" humanity. China will launch its Mars probe in 2020 and earlier this month tested a potential landing procedure in northern Hebei province. What differentiates the country's ambition is its expectation to complete orbiting, landing and roving in one mission. "Though it has been preceded by other countries' Mars missions, ours will produce better performance in terms of technological level and engineering capability," says Ye Peijian, a leading space exploration researcher at Beijing's China Academy of Space Technology.

But any attempt to go as far as Mars requires a whole new approach to lifestyle. All of which makes London's Design Museum exhibition Moving to Mars about as trending as it gets. Until February 23, 2020, the exhibition invites visitors to discover the role that design will play in humanity's journey to the Red Planet. Every detail of this extraordinary venture must be designed – from the journey (around seven months) to considering what we will wear, eat and live in when we get there and beyond.

"On the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, we are entering a new space age, with Mars once again capturing the popular imagination," says the museum's chief curator, Justin McGuirk. "As a museum interested in emergent futures, we are keen to explore how designing for space can help us design for Earth."