Why Mars Matters

As far as the stars are from us, so far are we from where we started.
As far away as they are now, so will we be then.​

-Eyvind Earle, Celebrated American Painter

Remember Ridley Scott’s stunning feature, The Martian, starring Matt Damon as Astronaut Mark Watney. It is 2035. Due to a dusty super storm, a crew to the distant planet has no choice but to leave Mars early. At the last moment, botanist Mark Watney gets separated from his crew, fatally disabled. The rocket blasts off on its way back to earth without the slightest clue Mark is still alive.

The drama unfolds how one severely injured, but fiercely determined, astronaut gathers his wits in the home base and step by step figures out how to hold out, even though he has but a few days of rations.

As a professional botanist, Mark succeeds in growing his own little crop of potatoes, as well as getting the station’s radio transmission back up to alert the folks back home. Before the end, Mark, thinking he is about to die, conveys to his family that the mission was worthwhile, as he served something bigger than himself. Mars colonization must go on. Mark’s improbable rescue makes him a celebrated cause, uniting all humanity.

Colonizing Mars: Moving from Science Fiction to Science Fact

You felt exhilarated by this heartwarming story, yet you supposed it to be only science fiction. For decades, we have heard weird accounts of UFO landings while NASA remained stalled in the Shuttle program.

Yet something has dramatically changed. In the last 50 years, we learned an immense amount about our solar system and have actually mapped out the terrain on Mars even better than Earth, due to the vast amount of earth covered by ocean. Mars is over 30 million miles away, with one-third our gravity. No oxygen in the atmosphere, and the temperatures 100 degrees below zero.

We now have highly sophisticated sensor technology, super-refined telescopes and greatly enhanced rocket technology. Thanks to Elon Musk’s Space X, we now can reuse the booster rockets, shrinking the costs involved. What would normally take nine months can now be done in less than three months. Elon envisions it taking just 30 days.

Then and Now: Space Race and Space X

Back in the 1960’s, there were only two players, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., rationalizing the huge effort and expense of a moon landing to establish the lead in the ideological Cold War. Today, there is not only America and Russia, but also the European Union and China.

When NASA successfully completed its first Apollo moon landing, its total computing power was less than what you enjoy in your smart phone today. Now, with A.I., robotics, drones and mobile computing, we are vastly more sophisticated, even when the journey is not simply 186,000 miles from Earth, as in the case of the moon.

In the 1960’s, the U.S. committed tens of billions of dollars, or 5% of its total budget, to NASA. Today, that same budget is only 0.5%, or one tenth as much. When the billionaire, Elon Musk, built up Space X, he used his own money. His impressive achievements have not cost the taxpayers a single cent!

What Would It Take for You to Actually Live on Mars?

If you listen to Elon Musk spell out his vision, you might think you were hearing Henry Ford sketch out the mass production of automobiles. Even though self-taught, Elon has got it down to a science by hiring the best people in the world. He is building a massive rocket with 60 engines that will transport a large team in style.

The sticking point is what you would do once you got there. You would have to develop the facilities from scratch. It would take flight after flight to build up a base. Mars’ distance from earth varies drastically. Your window opens up only once in two years. If you step outside and rip your spacesuit, you could die in seconds.

Imagine going to live on Antarctica for a couple years. Would you pay to do it? Of course not! Would you do it with all expenses paid and $100,000 per year? Or would you need all expenses paid and more like $1 million per year. Or, would no amount of many make you want to sign up for such a suicidal mission where the weather would make Siberia look like a warm summer’s day?

Are You Ready to Abandon Everything You Love?

One of the first lunar astronauts gazed back at earth with a stupendous love for our planet. He realized that everything that made life worthwhile lay on its surface. Without frames or boundaries, our world is beautiful beyond imagination when seen from outer space.

If you joined a Mars expedition at a low-ball price, say $100,000, you would come to realize that there was a high-probability of a mishap along the way, even before you stepped onto Martian soil. Just think of the Challenger disaster under President Reagan. The capsule blew up a large crew with the whole world watching.

The early pilgrims to Planet Mars will need to be made of hearty stock, as tough as the Puritans that settled New England, braving the first freezing winter, and celebrating the First Thanksgiving the following spring with Native Americans. To use a Boy Scout metaphor, no Tender Feet… just Eagle Scouts!

Challenge Awakens the Human Spirit Like Nothing Else

Something has shifted since the early 1970’s, when we shrunk from outer space, totally spooked that there was life nowhere else. With the advent of high technology, developed out of the Space Program, humanity created new eyes to see the Universe. Highly sophisticated telescopes could look into the furthest galaxy with spectacular vision.

Increasing evidence of water, the very basis of life, is found in planets and moons throughout our solar system. Many planets in other star systems fall within the critical “Goldilocks Zone.” We are growing from children to at least teenagers in our space explorations. We can now envision future scenarios in incredible detail. As all good metaphysicians know, the more intricate and elaborate the vision, the more likely it will manifest.

When you step away from watching The Martian, you feel, not depressed, as you did with the film, Interstellar, but exhilarated. Your gut will tell you it’s coming. It is only a question of when. Maybe there are alternatives to global warming being our swan song. Maybe humanity is destined for something truly great.

The world now, more than ever, needs a powerful, positive vision. Though global warming is most definitely an “Inconvenient Truth,” it does not inspire us. Settling Mars and building up a city of a million people, in line with Elon Musk’s vision, most certainly does.

In the ancient tale of the Tower of Babel, humanity tried to build a tower to the sky to throw God down off His thrown. However, if we collectively build a tower to the sky in communion with our Source, nothing shall be impossible for us.

You will no longer look like a fool to plan a future literally out of this world!

Are you ready?

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