The space race has been reinvented ,but now we’re not trying to reach the moon or even space. No. Now, we’re trying to reach Mars. Mars has been on the thoughts of astronauts and scientist alike for decades. The theory was that for so long Mars could not provide life because of the lack of water. But with new discoveries it is found that not only was there life. but also polar ice caps on the planet. Because of this new development, there are three different programs right now trying to reach the Red Planet. The SpaceX program headed by Elon Musk is the most recent of these. Musk wants to get people to Mars within the next twenty to forty years. Mars One, a non-profit, Swedish based program has its goals in permanent human settlement on Mars; Mars One hopes to have the start, sending people up by 2020. NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration based in the US wants to have human exploration in 2030.
There are many questions about the three different Mars exploration programs and even still should we even think about going to Mars? Each program has its own set of problems about what they plan to do. A month ago, Elon Musk’s SpaceX had one of its rockets explode before it left the orbit. The volunteers for Mars One program based on their profile biographies do not seem like the right people to be the pioneers on another planet. NASA hasn’t sent humans to or past the moon since 1972. All three programs have problems, but each one has its own ideas on how to get there.
Then there is still the morality question that exists with the mission to reach Mars. Humankind throughout history has had a very bad tradition to corrupt or ruin whatever area they try colonize. Even if Mars is colonized, there is a problem of control; will the planet fall in control to whichever country or company gets there first or will it go to the United Nations to preserve the peace? Is there a possibility of fighting over the Red Planet?
There’s also the realistic question. Can humans actually live on Mars for a year or even possibly for life? While Mars and Earth are very similar, they are also very different. Mars’ diameter is almost half of Earth’s and has evidence of huge amounts of water in the past, but with the planet being so cold now there can existence for long before freezing. The Red planet does have seasons like Earth, but it is unsure how closely that are alike. We can not stay in the realm of science fiction and believe that we can go to any planet and freely live there without an issue.
However, not everything about the exploration is bad. Going to another planet is a major step in human advancement. We can learn so much more about our galaxy by going to our neighboring planet. We can also find ways to help our planet with pollution and issues with the ozone layer. If all things work out, population issues can be fixed with part of the human race living on Mars. We can get new materials that we have been running dry in without fear. The Mars exploration has many different sides and views to it.
I would like to hear your ideas or views on the issue: is the colonization of Mars a good idea? So leave a comment on the article or head to @LPGauntlet on Twitter.
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