I want to talk to you about the colonization of Mars. One of our readers, Jordan Wright (aka "The Angry Astronaut.") just came up with the most original "think outside the box" ideas on the subject that I have seen in years. Jordan, well done!!!!
Elena and I have had numerous discussions over the years about the possibility
of flying to Mars and living there for the rest of our lives. Elena
consistently rejects it. She could not imagine having to live six months in a
spacecraft ("a tin can") while in transit to Mars. It was
unthinkable for her to live in a place with no vegetation, no trees, no
animals. She would not want to wear a spacesuit every time she went
outside.
Some years ago, I was at a Mars Society Convention. One of the speakers asked
all in the audience who were ready to go to Mars and spend the rest of their
lives to stand up. I stood up. To me living on Mars would be an
incredible adventure with so many new things
to discover including life on the planet. Unfortunately, I am too old
for this ever to be a reality.
I
was once in a meeting with NASA scientist Chris McKay. He compared Mars to
Antarctica. He said that it would never be more than a remote outpost with
scientific research stations like McMurdo.
An intrepid man from Holland started an organization called Mars One.
His goal was to establish a viable colony on Mars. He got the attention of
Lockheed Martin and SpaceX. He got some 200 highly-qualified and educated men
and women to sign up to start their lives over again on Mars. I have been in
meetings with the founder and a number of people who had signed up for the
trip. Sadly, not enough money was raised to get this project off the
ground.
As a matter of interest, Elon Musk has the goal to retire on Mars.
Jordan Wright debunked a lot of past theories about colonizing Mars. He
pointed out that these settlements would not be "a back water" for a
few research scientists and eccentrics. Rather it would be a dynamic and commercially
viable venture. He pointed out several asteroids super rich with all sorts
of minerals and rare metals. Mining these asteroids would be administered from
the Mars colonies. Major human exploration missions to the moons of Saturn,
Jupiter and the outer planets would be launched from Mars. One
could imagine interstellar missions with humans going to other stars
beginning at Mars. Mars is a natural launching pad that is superior to
earth in many respects. Here is a fascinating podcast that I urge all of you to
watch:
(183) Starship launches 4/10!!! Plus, why SpaceX Mars Colonists will be the richest humans alive! - YouTube
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