By Wendee NicoleTravelling to Mars has loomed large in the public’s imagination since at least the late 1800s when H.G. Wells' “War of the Worlds” tale of a Martian invasion was serialized in print. In 1899, respected scientist Nikola Tesla believed he was receiving transmissions from Mars, which intrigued the science community and the world. For the next several decades, the planet and its potential for extraterrestrials stayed front and center in news, sci-fi films, books and even religious debates.