Mars - Compulsion not a choice

Recently there have been a spate of space exploration missions to Mars. This red planet which is our nearest neighbor in the solar system has gained a lot of attention from the scientific community. All the space faring countries have some space program concerning Mars. Many of these countries have already sent exploratory vehicles successful exploration missions to Mars. Of course it will take some time for man to set foot there . 

There is interest in our red neighbor because it is the closest. While that may be so, Mars happens to be the first planet which will be explored and exploited for the benefit of mankind. The fact that it is the closest makes it convenient. Man has started exploring space not only for knowledge but also to find resources for his sustenance/survival.

It is being continuously debated that poor countries having  a large population with low per capita income should not spend on space exploration. While the logic of this argument cannot be refuted, there could be some justification for spending a small part of a country’s income on high technology projects. Today space exploration is expensive and glamorous but tomorrow it could become routine and necessary. The fact has hit home that the resources on earth are finite and will one day be gone. Global warming has got to a stage where we are not sure if we can reverse the process. In the long term the very existence of our civilization on Earth could be in question. Stephen Hawking the British scientist some time back said that man will have to leave this planet one day if he is to survive

Though this may sound alarming the end will not come tomorrow. But man has realized that he has to find an alternative to the only home he has in the universe, to continue his existence.

This is where our red neighbor comes into the picture.  Mars will be the next stop on our journey into space. It is now a safe bet that within the next 20- 30 years humans would have colonized Mars.  Also, Mars is first in the queue. There will be many more as human capability and endeavor increase.

Recently there has been a revival of interest in the Moon as well. The USA, Russia, India, China, Israel, Japan all have plans to explore the Moon. It being the closest to Earth is attractive enough. But two main reasons are given for the sudden interest in Moon. First, exploring resources and the second, use it as a launch pad for further forays into deep space. Moon’s one sixth gravity is a big attraction for space agencies. The escape velocity for rockets launched from the moon would make launches for further exploration cheaper. Colonizing the Moon itself would be expensive but extra-terrestrial resources could bring down the costs.

Granted, that space faring or exploration will not pay back in the short run, nor will it help feed the millions of poor in the immediate future. But space being the final frontier holds promise.  Man has already started looking for resources in outer space.  The asteroid Vesta was recently visited by the Dawn spacecraft. Part of that mission was to look for resources as Vesta is known to have iron ore deposits. The current wave of unmanned explorers going to Mars and other planets and asteroids is  for hunting much needed resources.  Eventually a part of humanity will have to leave for other colonies and space travel will become fairly common.

In the light of this a robust space faring capability is in the interest of mankind which is looking at the future with optimism.