Red Planet

            As humans hitch a ride on a tiny blue planet around the Sun, an even smaller red planet awaits in the distance for human footprints. Mars sits around 54.6 million kilometers from Earth. The dusty red planet is the fourth planet from the sun, but the first planet in sight for human space exploration.

            Ever since the dawn of man there has always been a fascination with the stars and what, or who, lies upon them. NASA is already developing the capabilities to send humans to Mars by 2030 to expand our presence into the solar system. This could solve some major issues faced in our society today and could even save humanity.

            National Geographic says, “If you take a look at [the] evolution [of] Earth, 99.9 percent of all life forms have gone extinct. When things change, either you adapt or die. That’s the law of Mother Nature.”

            There have been five major mass extinctions known on planet Earth and biologists suspect we’re living through the sixth. Super volcanoes, gamma ray bursts, asteroid impact, and fluctuations in climate are all factors to suspect that humans are next on the chopping block.

            In an article written by The Guardian, “Scientists analysed both common and rare species and found billions of regional or local populations have been lost. They blame human overpopulation and overconsumption for the crisis and warn that it threatens the survival of human civilisation.”

            The earth has a specific carrying capacity that once exceeded, can lead to fewer resources for the globe’s population. As of today, according to Conserve Energy Future, Earths population exceeds 7.6 billion people.

            Each environment has a limited number of resources that need to be managed carefully for humanity to live comfortably on Earth. Without moving intergalactic, the human population will exceed Earths resources, causing nature to wipe humanity off its surface. But as the human population rises, mans curiosity rises along with it in the search for other lifeforms outside Earths atmosphere.

             The European Space Agency suggests that, “Mars is an excellent place to investigate … because it is the most similar planet to Earth in the Solar System. Evidence suggests that Mars was once full of water, warmer and had a thicker atmosphere, offering a potentially habitable environment.”

            One monumental discovery scientists could make is determining whether life currently exists on Mars. The Mars life theory suggests, according to SPACE, that rocks rich with microorganisms could have been ejected off the planet's surface from a powerful impact, eventually making their way through space to Earth.

            Microbial life could be very similar to the life found here on Earth, which provides evidence to the theory of panspermia. The idea that life actually travels from planet to planet throughout the solar system or even across star systems. Which could eventually solve the resource problem here on Earth. 

            Microbial life could also be completely different to that of Earths. This could answer the question that life is a hardy force that is ingrained into the fabric of the universe. Meaning that there is a very high possibility of eventually finding intelligent lifeforms.

            The Conversation says, “Such a discovery would likely have profound scientific and philosophical implications. But extraterrestrial life has not yet been discovered, and for all we know may not even exist. Fortunately, even if alien life is never discovered, all is not lost.” The never-ending search for lifeforms will yield valuable benefits to society.

            It can be argued that the biggest benefits that came from the Apollo program had nothing whatsoever to do with the Moon, but from all the technological and engineering solutions that were created along the way.

             NASA research and development has tangible benefits that go beyond supporting mission needs. Technological spinoffs create jobs, generate revenue, save costs for businesses, and even save lives!

            By going to Mars, new advances in technology would have to be created in order for the survival of humans. NASA is already considering what kind of habitation we’ll need to survive on the surface of Mars, such as oxygen generation, water recovery, self-sustaining farms, and energy generation. All of which could help sustain our beautiful blue home.

            It’s a strange thought for humanity to inhabit another planet, but it’s a good one. Humanity's aspirations to explore space is what drives us toward more advanced technological innovations that even deepen our curiosity of the cosmos. All of our questions could be answered by packing our suitcases and buckling our seatbelts for a long 54.6-million-kilometer ride.