Why Mars?

It's a funny thing about mankind: Once the question is asked, the answer *must* be found. At least, every effort must be expended in an effort to find the answer. This is no different than any other question we've asked. Since we can do it, we must. As H. G. Wells opined in "Things To Come,": "Once we've conquered all of time and all of space, we'll still just be beginning." I think that's a healthy attitude for any race of beings.

Well said Andy. I think our species needs to move off Earth to survive and to thrive. I think we're approaching the carrying capacity of the planet now. And if not this century, perhaps next, we will find the need to colonize another world. But, we need newer propulsion and energy technologies to do so.

The robotic mars program is in a little bit of trouble lately. NASA is in a really tight spot with money what with the plan to build two new rockets and return to the moon.

We need some manned capability but I'm a much bigger fan of the unmanned missions.

bubba, I'm a fan of both, and both have their uses. Robots can do the preliminary work, but there's no substitute for a human being to see and to find out the real story about the site being visited. Plus, the human is able to discover what a robot can't see, and to react to things the robot may not have been programmed for. What would a seismic robot "think" of an alien walking up to the craft, kicking it and walking off. It would see foreshocks, a main shock and several after shocks. If the robot's cameras didn't see anything, well a momentous event would go almost unnoticed. I really do believe we need both manned and unmanned exploration.

Maybe in the long view. Assuming it can be established that a science-wary population would continue to fund a multi-decade manned exploration effort. Didnt get far after Apollo and the only reason the ISS is still kicking is international obligations. Even if we manage mars within 50 years, there is nowhere else to go without substatial leaps in technology and investment.

But in my lifetime its likely that almost all of the big discoveries will come from telescopes and robotic probes. I like manned missions because they can service telescopes but beyond that it doesn't really interest me.

Is it really that important to go to the frontier of space when people on this planet are starving? Which is more important? Where is our perspective in life? If you were starving and we could help you become self-sufficient, but we declined because we needed to go explore the galaxy, how would you feel? Is spending billions to search for something that "might" be there more important than a human life?

Dave, answer may be no. But questions begets doubt. Life without reason isn't special either. When we can measure the heavens and the depth of the earth...scriptures lead me to believe game over.

My dad trains astronauts at JSC, and I personally support JPL's unmanned missions much more so than manned missions for all of the obvious reasons, habitat modules, etc.

Dave,

If we wanted to help the starving people on Earth, that would be great. But we don't do it.

I think a society as rich as ours should be able to take care of its own people and explore at the same time.

Our governments are looking for other places to live because we'll use up Planet Earth's resources in a few decades, and then humanity is basically screwed.

I don't normally contribute to comments after articles because they tend to be a collection of rants, but this is a good one. Thanks to all who have contributed so far. My take on the discussion is that humanity's present (the hungry here on earth) and humanity's future (exploration of space with a view to colonization) should not and cannot be mutually exclusive. It's like saying should you eat or should you breathe. Without doing one you cannot do the other, or indeed survive at all. We need a government - governments - that can sensibly divide resources between these two essential goals.

great scott! what an epiphany!

how long did it take the all of you geniuses to figure out that this earth is a finite resource ? OF COURSE , we need to conserve ,recycle , be as green as possible ,work towards ZPG for the entire planet , but even at that its a well known fact that the earth and this entire solar system are bound for destruction one day ,even if it is many millions of years in the future.

there still is no time to waste, many problems are still unseen/unfigured ; we are truly in the infancy of space travel so having very long term plan/approach is most important. the job of exploring and perhaps colonizing space/other planets will be a exercise in adaptation and ingenuity ,and many wrong turns will be made along the way , as with the challenger mission . overall though it appears nasa and the esa are generally on the right track ; only time can be the judge of that opining ,however i personally am quite convinced that our survival as a species depends imminently on our ability to learn how to travel to other planets and colonize them , adapting (as we always have ) as we go .

If Mars is a bio-dead end, that's pretty much it for the next 100 years or more. The likelihood of finding life elsewhere in our solar system is virtually nill. They can talk about Titan, etc., but it's pointless. The very real possibility will emerge then, that we are alone, very alone. For all the computer analysis and radio telescope projects, there isn't a single shred of evidence to this day that life exists elsewhere.

Matrix stated it well: human is like a virus, when Earth is polluted and destroyed by humans, they move on and try to plaque and destroy another planet, in the name of survival... if you let them acquire the technology to travel the Space.

Nature will find a way to limit this potential damage and cage humans on Planet Earth alone.

Dave,

> ...scriptures lead me to believe game over.

Could you please list all these, at least as references and/or partial or exact quotes? Thanks.

© Stephen

Whoops, not Dave, but James.

James! LOL.

> ... scriptures lead me to believe game over.

Could you please list all of these, at least as partial or exact quotes (or approximate quotes), and/or references?

Thanks!

© Stephen

padme,

> Nature will find a way to limit this potential damage and cage humans on Planet Earth alone.

Nature??

Interesting force, this Nature. Sounds like a force of intelligence.

Is it computer-generated? Or, Is it historical invisible beings (recorded throughout history in history texts, mythologies, and scriptures)?

I don't doubt that there may be forces that a times prevent Humans from decimating the planet (or encourage it, LOL). The questions are; what and who and where these forces are; and then: what are our responses to them?

© Stephen

padme,

> Matrix stated it well: human is like a virus

Are you saying that you are that way, or not that way, or not Human?

Not all Humans were or are that way (at least not all the time).

However, a lot of times those involved in places of "power" can act without enough restraints and consideration for people and things and nature around them.

Almost anyone with enough "power" or authority can be tempted to not hold to ideals, even as the old saying goes: "Power corrupts". (And it doesn't have to be political, military, or economic power either. It can even be personal or interpersonal.)

When Humans learn to hold one another accountable individually, locally, and not to relish despising anyone -- even to follow the long-held principles of respect and even Love for the person nearby you -- then, in those places, situations and relationships can and may and maybe even will improve.

But there seems to always be someone who holds onto prejudices and lack of respect for others. When we help to minimize their effects on us and on those around us, things can improve.

Love, :)
Stephen
LOL.

© Stephen

Typo:
I don't doubt that there may be forces that a times
SHOULD say
at times

--Sorry if I am hogging the blog. LOL.

Some nice comments, btw. :)

© Stephen

One more:

If they have the capability of hiding and/or being invisible, as evidence leads people to believe is true right here on Earth, then it is unlikely that we will find a whole lot more elsewhere than we do right here.

Maybe especially if unmanned, as someone suggested earlier.

Our robots and probes might find some evidence of organic life existing or once existing, though.

But don't expect NASA or the governments to tell us much about it anytime soon.

© Stephen