The Fate of Earth
Before really diving in to the importance of Mars, we must first begin with setting the current stage of human existence. Although the rise of the human species has only occurred during a small fraction of the earth’s multibillion year lifespan, our future survival is in much more danger than most people are aware of. In earth’s history there have been at least 7 mass extinction events that have completely devastated the planets current inhabitants. The next mass extinction event could occur at any time, and is nearly completely unpredictable. Let’s take the asteroid that devastated the dinosaurs as an example. If a similar asteroid collided with the earth today, the human race would be devastated just like the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, even with all of our current advanced technology, we have no way of knowing if an asteroid is currently headed our way until it is literally at our front door.
With this background, the importance of Mars becomes more obvious. With the human species at risk on Earth, the only way to ensure future survival is by creating a backup of our race on another planet. That way, if something devastating happened to earth, the future of the species could still expand on another planet, and even come back to re-populate the old one.
In order for a Mars colonization plan to really work, the colony would need to be completely self sustainable. There are quite a few challenges to achieving this goal. For one, Mars in it’s current state is not hospitable to human beings. Un-protected sun exposure would kill, the air is not breathable, and the temperatures are lower than those on Antarctica. That being said, there are ways to make it work. In the beginning, a colony would need to exist under an umbrella of protection. A giant dome would protect us from the sun, maintain appropriate temperatures, and provide oxygen. There are also enough resources on Mars to aid in future survival. Enough frozen water exists on the planet to fill all of the oceans on earth. Plants can be grown in the soil for food. With enough initial supplies, an adventurous group of colonists could be the pioneers of planetary growth.
The current attempts to colonize Mars have been the work of a single company, SpaceX. Led by Elon Musk, the sole aim of the company is to one day turn the dream of living on Mars to reality. In pursuit of this goal, the first step for the company has been sending satellites or other payloads into orbit at a cost efficient rate. In our present day, this goal has been achieved. SpaceX now launces spacecraft into orbit at a cheaper rate than any other corporate or government body in existence. As a result, the company has guaranteed profitability, and a means to further its ultimate goal of reaching Mars. The next step is to build a spacecraft powerful enough to reach Mars, and have the necessary funding to make the many trips necessary to supply and seed the planet. Whether SpaceX reaches this goal remains to be seen, but if the company’s projections are to be believed, it will happen with the next 20 years, and be a very exciting time for humankind.