Men to Mars: Misplaced Priorities

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Since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated with the universe outside of our own planet. A natural urge to explore the extraterrestrial has always engulfed the human spirit. From the early ages of society, man has been particularly intrigued by Mars. The Egyptians referred to it as "the Red One," and the early Babylonians called it the "Star of Death." With modern technology constantly advancing, it has become possible to not only wonder about the marvels of our universe, such as Mars, but it has become possible for man to visit and explore these wonders. The only question remaining is, "Is it worth the time, money, human labor, and much more that would go into a manned mission to Mars?"

Many people hold the answer to this question as an obvious yes, and also believe that we must do this for the sake of mankind. These people, however, are saying this out of ignorance to the facts and due to their primitive exploratory instinct. It is clear to see that they have not taken into consideration all the aspects and components which would go into a manned mission to Mars. It is true that we could gain much from a manned mission, but what we could gain is little more than "bragging rights" in saying that humans landed on Mars. The actual knowledge and human experience which could be gained from a manned mission to Mars is far outweighed by the costs, potential problems associated with the mission, and health risks to the astronauts. Thus, at the current time, humans should not be sent to explore the "Red Planet."

Mans history of actually placing foot on an extraterrestrial body is very limited. Space shuttle Apollo 11, carrying Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, which was the first manned flight to ever land on the moon set down July 0, 16. Since their exploration, only ten other men have ever walked on the moons surface. (Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Moon). These missions have opened new doors for mankind which were previously inaccessible. Moon missions last just over five days, whereas a mission to Mars would last a considerably longer time. Physicists have proved that the shortest possible journey to Mars would last around twenty-one months, nine months each way, and a three month stay on the surface to compensate for the orbit of Mars around the sun in contrast to that of Earth. (Odenwald).

The duration of this mission brings many factors into consideration. First, the cost of the mission would be extreme, and would take money away from important uses on Earth. The initial journey of man to the moon cost NASA close to $5 billion. There is a vast array of estimates ranging anywhere between $0 billion and $1 trillion for the round-trip manned mission to Mars. However, the least expensive of these ways are undoubtedly to be ruled out by NASA, for they involve un-testable, un-guarenteeable, and potentially dangerous ways of travel; these include harvesting fuel from Mars along with other illogical solutions. (Should We Send Men to Mars?) The most recent comprehensive estimate of a manned trip to Mars, a journey taking more than 15 times as long as a mission to the moon to complete, is in the range of $500 billion. (Human Exploration of Mars).Custom writing service can write essays on Men to Mars: Misplaced Priorities

The $500 billion would not all be raised in one year, but rather would be raised over a period of ten years by slight tax increases to the public. Donations would aid to the goal, but would not nearly come close to being entirely sufficient to fund the mission. This is where many questions arise. Would it not be more logical and infinitely more beneficial to mankind if these funds rather than going to an unneeded manned mission to Mars went instead to assist in problems here on Earth? Programs such as Welfare, Social Security, Medicare, and many other financial aids could benefit tremendously from this raise in taxes, should it be issued at all. These issues of securing and protecting the American people are much more important than space travel which would effect far fewer people. Moreover, the pathfinder missions to Mars cost only $ billion to complete and these could be replicated and improved for a cost which is not substantially greater if we need to send anything to Mars. (Should We Send Men to Mars?). Sending probes to Mars as we have done is much more cost effective in the sense that when men are walking on Mars, they are confined to their space suit. This takes away their ability to feel, smell, taste, and hear, and the only other humanly sense left is sight which we can just as efficiently accomplish by means of a robot.

Continuing, there are hundreds upon thousands of potential mechanical problems which could arise and be unfixable in the course of the nearly two-year mission. Human error is always a potential risk when parts and instruments of the shuttle must be designed, measured, and sometimes manufactured by humans. On January 8, 186, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded killing all its members 7 seconds after takeoff. This was, of course, not planned nor expected, and despite many technological advances since this, it is still impossible to predict any catastrophic events like this. (The Crew of the Challenger Shuttle Mission in 186). Along these lines, no manned mission has ever been launched for such a great duration of time. Thus, we are unaware, and can not simulate on Earth the potential effects of a two year trip. Any trip into outer space leaves very little room for human error, but on a mission, the first of its kind, lasting twenty-one months, the margin for error is even less as the chance of error is exponentially greater.

As with all ventures to previously unexplored places, there is also the constant risk of the unknown. NASA can attempt to account for every possible scenario, but there may be unknown effects to the men and machinery once they land on the Martian surface. There are potential effects of space radiation and other dangers, which we may be ignorant to. There will also be neither repair facilities nor specialists on board, and if something is to go wrong, it may be impossible with the available equipment to repair damage to the shuttle. (The Crew for the Manned Mission).

The absence of repair facilities, and the potential mechanical problems is a much more serious threat the threat posed to the health of the astronauts who command this mission. Without medical facilities on board, there would be no way to treat bleeding ulcers, heart attacks, broken bones, and any other medical problem which may occur. Dr. Arnauld Nicogossian confirms, You cannot do telemedicine like we do, or abort (the mission), on the way to Mars, (Space doctors say Whoa to sending people to Mars). These conditions which could be treated on Earth may be fatal without a chance of resuscitation in orbit.

Space radiation is also another fact to be considered when accounting for potential medical dangers in this mission. It is unknown whether space radiation could cause cancer or not in the astronauts, but it is a likely possibility. Nicogossian, NASAs top doctor, is still worried and uncertain to the effects of radiation, and while there is uncertainty, there should not even be a consideration to sending men who could be harmed by unknown causes. Furthermore, Dr. Jerry Linenger questions whether or not astronauts will be fit to walk on Mars when they arrive, let alone be healthy when they return to Earth. Many men who enter space skip or slack on their workouts. This was once thought to be the cause of bone deterioration upon return to Earth, however, new studies show that even those who constantly work out while in orbit lose nearly as much bone mass as those who skip workouts, and they are in a very weakened condition upon their arrival home. (Space doctors say Whoa to sending people to Mars).

Ultimately, there are many concerns associated with a manned mission to explore Mars which cannot be ignored. There are extreme costs; money will be spent which could be put to better use for causes right here on Earth. There are also potential mechanical problems which have affected missions in the past and could possibly negatively impact a mission to Mars. Losses from this of not only money but also human life could be great. Finally, the health risks to the astronauts are great and some dangers are presently unknown. And, until these issues can be resolved, humans should not be sent to explore Mars.

"Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Moon." University of Texas. 17 April 000. http//www.tsgc.utexas.edu/everything/moon/.

"Human Exploration of Mars." National Aeronautics and Space Administration. July 17. http//www-sn.jsc.nasa.gov/marsref/contents.html.

Odenwald, Sten. How Long would a Trip to Mars Take?. 17. http//itss.raytheon.com/cafe/qadir/q811.html.

Should We Send Men to Mars? Think Tank. Andrew Walworth. Ben Wattenberg. Television Documentary. PBS, 001.

"Space doctors say Whoa to sending people to Mars." CANOE. 1 July 17. http//www.canoe.ca/MarsMission/jul1_doctors.html.

"The Crew for the Manned Mission." Mars Academy. 1 November 001. http//www.marsacademy.com/crew/crew.html.

"The Crew of the Challenger Shuttle Mission in 186." National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 17. http//www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/challenger.html.

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