Why Mars Exploration?
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| Woman on a Space Suit in Mars Like Environment |
Humans
The modern form of humans only evolved about 200,000 years
ago. Some viewers might ask, ‘’what does the ancient version of humans then look
like”, well I prefer not to say or else I might attract critics based on religion
and science differences. Human civilization has been recorded to be about 6000
years old and industrialization starting around the 1800s. We have been able to
accomplish so much in a short time, which also represents how much of the
natural resources have been consumed to meet our essential demands such as food,
clothing, shelter, and accessories. In spite of all the weather changes and
extreme locations such as Antarctica, humans have been able to survive in
environments all over the world. Our survival instinct is very high even though
our body system is not as robust as some animals that can adapt in any type of
environment. Wood frogs can survive the winter by freezing up to 60 percent of
their entire body. They stop breathing and their heart rate stop beating.
Kangaroo rats on the other hand can survive without ever drinking water. Humans
do not have these kinds of super features but instead, our level of
intelligence gives us the ability to create things that support us to survive.
Is the weather too cold? Make thick clothing, manufacture heating systems, and build
cozy homes. Is the weather too hot? Make cooling systems, make lighter
clothing, produce creams that prevent skin burns, and more.
Climate Change
We cannot understate the effects of humans on earth. In
search of natural resources to meet our daily consumption, we have turned into
destroyers of the planet. According to a research by University of South
Indiana, 2 billion trees are cut down every year to make paper, wood, and other
tree-based products. Breaking it down, the average American uses 7 trees each
year. This is only the US study so you could imagine what the world statistics
would be. Our natural areas are destroyed,
driving species into endangerment just for our need to build more houses to
sustain the ever-increasing population.
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| Endangered species in Burning Forest |
With the human population nearing 8 billion, pollution from the
manufacturing industry is a growing element in climate change and affects us in
ways we cannot predict. Some which are already visible from the melting
glaciers and rising global temperatures.
Rise of Space Technology
Humans first mission on space dates back to April 12, 1961 when the Soviet Union made a single orbit of Earth. The flight lasted for 108 minutes. This was a motivating factor for other countries showing the possibilities of the unknown. The first-time humans set foot on another planet was on July 20, 1969, when Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. These feet cemented space exploration and created a new set of stans called Astrophiles showcasing their love for space tourism.
However, there have been a decline with what can be achieved.
The last time humans went to the moon was on December 14, 1972. That was 48
years ago. Why has it taken so long to make it to the moon? Well, the facts are
that the costs of getting to the moon were enormous. Mostly due to the fact
that the rocket boosters are not reusable. This is the point where SpaceX comes in.
SpaceX
SpaceX is an aerospace manufacturer and space transportation
services company founded by Elon Musk in 2002 to transform space technology. Its
main goal is to reduce space transportation cost with Mars exploration being
its utmost priority. Elon first developed the concept of reusable rockets. His efforts
were astronomical due to the fact that he invested majority of his money into
the company during times people doubted his idea. At the time, he was also running
Tesla as CEO. After a three consecutive flight attempts of the Falcon 1 rocket,
the fourth attempt was successful. At the time, SpaceX and Tesla was 2 weeks
close to Bankruptcy. Still figuring out how to save both companies, Elon got a
phone call on December 23rd, 2008. He has been awarded a $1.6
billion contract to resupply the International Space Station. SpaceX have
achieved their goal of creating reusable boosters with series of successful
launches and booster landing even though they are still innovating to ensure
consistency. However, one thing still remains, Mars exploration.
Starship
Starship is SpaceX’s fully reusable transportation system designed
to carry both crew and cargo to the Earth’s orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The
rocket will be made with stainless steel instead of carbon fibre that SpaceX
initially aimed for. Stainless steel because it is much cheaper and also handles
heating far better than carbon composites. Talking about the size in layman’s
term, the rocket will be equivalent to a 15-storey building. The weight and size
require the need of 6 raptor engines to power it. The Starship is the only SpaceX
rocket that is designed to go to Mars, but it will also serve other purposes. It
could boost SpaceX’s launch of Starlink satellites into orbit, it has a higher
payload capacity than the other rockets, and it can accommodate as many as 100 people
per flight. Starship is poised to be the most advanced rocket ever made if the
targets are met. If the Mars goal is accomplished, Starship will be the first
ever rocket to transport humans to Mars, that’s if no other company have been
able to pull it off. Finally, to the main purpose of this video, why do humans
need to go to Mars?
Why Mars Exploration?
Humans are driven by curiosity and
that is a motivating factor to explore our surroundings and even the world
beyond earth. We have explored earth’s orbit, the moon, and even set up a space
station. Why not explore Mars? Challenging ourselves to find answers to the
unknown is what have brought us this far. Understanding whether life existed
elsewhere in the Universe beyond Earth is a fundamental question of humankind.
Mars is an excellent place to investigate this question because it is the most
similar planet to Earth in the Solar System.
There are much more reasons why we want to explore the Red Planet. Some scientific reasons for exploring Mars can be summarized by the search for life, understanding the surface and the planet’s evolution, and preparing for future human exploration. Over the years, we have been able to uncover some key ingredients to life on the planet like Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Carbon, and Sulphur. Evidence suggests that Mars was once full of water, warmer and had a thicker atmosphere, offering a potentially habitable environment.
Mars just
like Earth experienced serious climate change. The Mars Perseverance Rover just
landed on the Red Planet on 18th February this year. This is a huge
milestone as planetary geologists can study rocks, sediments, and soils for
clues to uncover more history of the surface. Scientists are interested in the
history of water on Mars to understand how life could have survived. Samples of
the atmosphere could reveal crucial details on its formation and evolution, and
also why Mars has less atmosphere than Earth. Mars can also help us to learn
more about our home.
Summary
I hope this article is convincing enough to showcase the
importance of Mars exploration. If there is something left out, please comment.
If you enjoyed this read, please share and follow this blog as I will be making
more of these.
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Written by: Cypran Akubude
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