Those of you who’ve seen Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” likely know that Mars is one hell of a planet. In fact, the movie’s utter lack of an antagonist makes it pretty clear who (or what) the real villain is — Mars itself. While the red planet offers desolate landscapes, minute natural resources, deadly levels of radiation and blinding isolation compared to our own grand blue marble, I continue to think manned expeditions to Mars are the next giant leap for mankind. In fact, I’d argue colonization on Mars should be the immediate aim of every space program.
Let’s face it — Mars is not well-suited to human existence. Though windstorms like the ones seen in “The Martian” are nearly impossible in Mars’ low atmosphere, year-round dust storms can block out the sun for weeks at a time. Radiation is much stronger on the surface of Mars than on Earth, and tests done at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center indicate that exposure to these levels of Martian radiation can greatly increase the risk of cancer. The planet’s red soil is not, in its current condition, apt for agricultural use. Little oxygen, low atmospheric pressure and low temperatures make living without an appropriate apparatus (space suits, pressurized/heated habitats, infinite supplies of oxygen) impossible. Mars is not a welcoming planet. Living conditions would be less extravagant and luxurious than on Earth. Colonizing humans would have to conserve resources, economize space and actively work against Mars’ natural environment.
But I think it’d be worth it. Stephen Hawking once said that “it is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species.” The threat of unknown viruses and warfare leaves the future of the human race a perpetual mystery. The possibility of extinction could be greatly mitigated in the next 50 years if colonization of the moon, Mars or Venus (the three most viable locations) became a priority rather than an eccentric interest by a few private organizations like SpaceX or Mars One. Incredibly, NASA has recently revealed their plan to send a human mission to Mars by the 2030s. They were perhaps spurred on by the popularity of the Mars One mission, which aims to establish a human settlement on Mars by 2027. However likely each of these missions might be, it’s important to note that they’ve opened a conversation that involves humans settling somewhere other than Earth. Feeding off “The Martian,” space travel is at the forefront of humanity’s imagination right now.
After seeing “The Martian,” I immediately Googled “how to become an astronaut.” That movie so thrilled me, ironically, about the prospect of space travel that I couldn’t help but find out how I could get involved — ideally as the heroic astronaut botanist. The feeling I had when I left the movie — the absolute enchantment for all things space — is what a mission to Mars, in real life, would do for billions of people. Space travel is more than diversifying, and thus sustaining, human life. It’s about gravitating toward questions about our very existence everyday. Why are we seemingly alone in the universe, while vast galaxies are infinitely accessible to our wondering eyes? What is our place in this wide-open track of space? Who or what might be out there?
If colonizing Mars could get people more excited about space travel, provide solutions for human survival with limited resources, expand capacities for problem-solving and ingenuity and illuminate a small portion of our place in the universe, then that should be the next step. If it’s hard — if Mars refuses to welcome us with open arms — so be it. Humans have found their way around impossible problems for thousands of years. In fact, solving our way through colonizing Mars would only show the kind of tenacity humans can have in the face of adversity, the kind of spirit it would take to survive as a species at all. It would illuminate human potential at a time when humanity is on the brink of self-destruction. Most importantly, space exploration would, ultimately, motivate the planet in a way that’s productive with a positive focus on the future.