To Mars or not to Mars.docx
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To Mars or not to Mars.docx
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ToMarsornottoMars
ToMars,or,nottoMars?
byThomasD.Taverney
Monday,August19,2013
SendinghumanstoMars,eitherforexpeditionsorforsettlement,haslongbeenanaspirationforspaceenthusiasts.Buthowcansuchasaudaciousgoalbeachieved?
(credit:
NASA)
“Marstugsatthehumanimaginationlikenootherplanet.Withaforcemightierthangravity,itattractstheeyetotheshimmeringredpresenceintheclearnightsky…”鈥�JohnNobleWilford,MarsBeckons
Everycivilizationseekstoachievegreatnessandbuildmonumentstobelefttosubsequentgenerationsashighwatermarksoftheirvalue,demonstratingtheiressence,andprovidingastatementthatitspeoplewerehere.Thesemonumentsarecraftedbythemostimportantmindsandshapedandsculptedbythemostskilledhands.Theyareleftproudlytotheirchildren,children’schildren,andforsome,scoresofgenerations.Thedesiretobuildmonumentsandinnovateisafundamentalattributeofhumansocieties.Thegreatshaveleftuswiththepyramids,theGreatWall,thePanamaCanal,thesteamengine,railroads,skyscrapers,thescrewpropeller,theautomobile,theairplane,andevencavepaintings.Eachwonder,eachinnovation,saysthatitspeoplewereherewiththeirhearts,mindsandhands.Greatachievementsadvancethehumanconditionandestablishmarkersofimportanttechnicaladvances.
ToMars,or,nottoMars?
Thisisanot-so-simplequeryworthyofanintensenationaldebateandsoulsearching.
Wearenodifferenttoday.OvernearlysixtyyearswehavebrokenfreeofthegravitationalbondsthathaveanchoredustotheplanetEarth.Oursatelliteshavevisitedalltheplanets,aswellasasteroidsandcomets.We’veleftbootprintsonthesurfaceoftheMoon.AndalthoughwehaveachievedmanyexcitinginnovationssincethatmomenttheflagwasplantedontheMoonoverfortyyearsago,theApollolandingremainsthepinnacleofourachievement.
Now,asanationandapeople,weareconfoundedbyanewquestion:
ToMars,or,nottoMars?
Thisisanot-so-simplequeryworthyofanintensenationaldebateandsoulsearching.Andforaspacefaringnation,it’sonethatgeneratesevenmorequestions.WillitbeworthittogotoMars?
TheUSeconomyiscurrentlysaddledwithahugedebt,andmanypartsoftheglobaleconomyarefaltering.Thesearetoughtimes.MillionshavebeendrivenfromthejobmarketandarenolongercountedasunemployedbycynicalbeancountersintheLaborDepartment.Withlittlereliefinsight,skepticsask,“Shouldn’twerespondfirsttothebasicneedsofthepeople,ofmothersandfathers,schools,publicsafety,theenvironment,beforewecommittosuchanimmenseventure?
Shouldn’tweunderstandhowmuchofourpreciousnationaltreasurewillbedrainedtofundit?
Whathasbeentherealvalueofspaceadventurestodate?
”
GeniusheroeslikeBuzzAldrinrespondmagnificentlytothesedishearteningtheatrics.Backin2009,hearticulatedaperfectresponseinhisbookMagnificentDesolation:
”It’snotthevalueoftherockswebroughtback,orthegreatpoeticstatementsthatwillbeuttered.Thosethingsaren’tremembered.It’sthatpeoplewitnessedthatevent.WearenotgoingtojustifygoingtoMarsbywhatwebringback.”
Tomany,itseemsabitofmadnesstodreamthatsomedaywecouldbuildacolonyonMars.Thenagain,perhapsnot.WhenIwasbornitwasconsideredpuresciencefictiontoimagineanastronautcouldtraveltotheMoon,landandsafelyreturn.Yet,BuzzAldrinandNeilArmstrongdidjustthat.TheybouncedoutandaboutonthesurfaceofourMoon,andcapturedtheimaginationoftheworld.MillionsofuswatchedwithgreatprideandexcitementhereintheUnitedStates.
TheseweredayswhenIwasstilltryingtodecidemyfuturecareerandeducationchoices.Iremembertalkingtofriendsandneighborsandlisteningtoscientificcynicswhowerequitesureandconvincedthatadvancedelectronicswouldnotfunctioninspace.Somewarnedthatifpeoplefoolishlywenttospace,theirbloodwouldboil.Attheveryleast,theyweresurethatspacetravelerswouldbecomespatiallydisorientedanddieasaresult.
Ofcourse,suchhissinghasconfrontedinnumerablegreatachievements.Itwasnottoolongago,forexample,whenthesoundbarrieralsowasthoughtunassailable.ButonOctober14,1947,ChuckYeagerwrappedhimselfintoarocketship,securedthedoorwithbroomhandlebecauseofribhehadbrokenadaybefore,andthenboldlyprovedthenaysayerswrong.AndYeager’sachievementwasnomoredauntingorcourageousthantheexploitsoftheearlygreatEuropeanexplorerswhosailedacrossanunchartedocean.Theydidn’tknowwhattheywouldfindontheotherside.Newknowledgeandopportunitiescomefromthebestandbrightestboldlyreachingtoconfrontgrandchallenges.Wewillonlygrowasaspeciesbytakingrisks.Theyprovideameasureofthehumanspirit.
Butisn’ttheideaofcolonizingMarscrazy?
Perhaps,butitisalsotruethattheconditionsonthesurfaceofMarsaremuchclosertoEarththanthesurfaceofanyotherbodyinthesolarsystem.TheMartianenvironmentisfarbetterthantheextremelyhotandcoldtemperaturesonMercury,thefurnace-hotsurfaceofVenus,orthecryogenictemperaturesoftheouterplanetsandtheirmoons.HumanshavealreadyexplorednaturalsettingsonEarththatmatchmostconditionsonMars.Forexample,thehighestaltitudereachedbyamannedballoonascent,arecordrecentlysetintherecentRedBullchallenge,isnearly39,000meters;thepressureatthataltitudeisaboutthesameasitisonthesurfaceofMars.AndtheextremesofcoldintheArcticandAntarcticmatchallbutthemostextremetemperaturesonMars.Overall,however,thatMarsisnotaveryfriendlyplace.
SeekingtoputthesamepriorityongoingtoMarsaswedidtogoingtotheMoonwithApollo—onlynowperformedasaglobalendeavor—shouldserveasamotivationandcatalysttodrivetheglobaltechnicalinnovationengine.
Inshort,colonizingMarswouldposedauntingchallenges.Soattemptingcolonizationshouldnotbeattemptedasafirststep,norattemptedanywherenearthefirststepsonanewplanet.AswiththeearlyMoonexcursions,wefirstshouldgotoMars,orbitit,andreturnsafelytoEarth.Onceweareconfidentthatcanbesuccessfullyachievedonaregularbasis,thenextstepshouldbetosendpeoplethere,toassessandexplore,andbringthembacksafely.Next,weneedtohavevisitorsbegintobuildsustainableinfrastructureontheplanet,andreturn.Onlythen,wheninfrastructureisinplace,shouldweeventhinkofcolonizingMars.
Butwhatwouldbethevalue,beyondthe“wow”factor?
In1961,PresidentKennedyansweredthiseternalquestionwhenhedescribedtheneedforacommitmenttogototheMoonbeforetheendofthedecade.Hesaid:
“Wechoosetogotothemooninthisdecade,anddotheotherthings,notbecausetheyareeasy,but,becausetheyarehard,becausethatgoalwillservetoorganizeandmeasurethebestofourenergiesandskills,becausethechallengeisonethatwe.Arewillingtoaccept,oneweareunwillingtopostpone,andonewhichweintendtowin…Nosinglespaceprojectinthisperiodwillbemoreimpressivetomankind,ormoreimportanttothelongtermexplorationofSpace,andnonewillbesodifficultorexpensivetoaccomplish…Thedecisiondemandsamajornationalcommitmentofscientificandtechnicalmanpower,material,andfacilities.”
Kennedy’skeypointisapplicabletoanyMarsventurewouldbethatitwouldbeinvaluableto“organizeandmeasurethebestofourenergiesandskills.”SeekingtoputthesamepriorityongoingtoMarsaswedidtogoingtotheMoonwithApollo—onlynowperformedasaglobalendeavor—shouldserveasamotivationandcatalysttodrivetheglobaltechnicalinnovationengine.ThetechnologiesdevelopedforatriptoMarsshouldproduceeffectscomparabletothoseproducedbytechnologieswedevelopedforgoingtotheMoon.
AnothersignificantvaluethatcouldbederivedfromahumanMarsmissionisthatitwilldemonstrateUSinternationalspacetechnologyleadership.TheUSgainedleadershipvaluesandlessonsfromtheColdWarcompetitionthatdrovethedevelopmentofApolloand,later,theSpaceShuttle.TheseleadershipvaluesthenevolvedastheUSandanumberofnationsconstructedandoperatedtheInternationalSpaceStation.AdrivetosuccessfullytraveltoMarscouldreenergizeourdomesticengineeringindustriesandindustrialbase.StudentsandpeopleinspiredbyaMarsventurecouldservetostimulateengineeringandscienceinnovatorswhoessentialtoeconomicandtechnicalgrowth.
AmoresubtlebenefittobederivedfromahumanmissiontoMarsisthatitmayprovetoprovideanewunderstandingofwhoweare.Findinglife,orevidenceofpastlife,onanotherplanetwillchangeusinwaysthatwecan’timagine.ThepictureofthewholeEarthtakenbyahumanonthewaytotheMoonisstilltodaychangingwhoweare:
howbeautifulandfragileandinterconnectedourhometheEarthis,withnovisibleborders.
HowcanoneconfrontthereasonableargumentsagainstgoingtoMars?
Aswehavediscussed,giventhechallengesfacedbyoursociety,manyask:
“WhyshouldwespendbillionsonspacewhenwehavesomanyproblemshereonEarth?
”Onecanrespondtothistypeofno-winargumentativequestionwithaquestion:
“WedohavemanypressingproblemstodayonEarth,buthowwouldwefacetheseproblemswithouttheknowledgedevelopedbyAmerica’sspaceprograminthepast50years?
”Informationsystems,materialtechnologies,andmanyotherdevelopmentshaveenabledthedevelopmentofahighlyinterdependentworld.Withoutspacetechnologies,oursocietywouldbelefttograpplewiththeconcernso
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