Mars Exploration: The Future of Humanity
Introduction
“Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.” former Apollo 8 astronaut, Frank Borman stated on the inevitability of the human race’s expansion and our quest for knowledge. Since the beginning of time, humankind has explored new areas in hope of achieving prosperity, whether it was the European explorers at the start of the 16th century or Lewis and Clark in Western America after the turn of the 18th century. Yet, our curiosity of the unknown and space has advanced us further than we could have ever imagined a hundred years ago. With many prominent companies such as Boeing and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) researching, experimenting and progressing the privatized space industry, the imminent exploration of Mars is predicted to occur by 2022 (Lant 2017). Thus, the government policies, national interests and the types of government most effective in such a landscape are important factors in the soon to be colonized Martian planet.
Government Policies
The necessary colonization of Mars will be met with many supporting factors. Internationally recognized treaties such as the Outer Space Treaty have established the foundation of cooperation between nations and the idea that astronauts are international citizens, with the purpose of advancing the human race (United Nations 1967). These settlements are a positive factor for the worldwide motivation for cooperation in space. This treaty has led to the first men on the moon and later the creation of the International Space Station, the epitome of international cooperation. According to Sara Bruhns of the Blue Marble Space Institute, the idea of “Space Politics” advancing cooperation worldwide as misappropriation of economic exclusion zones, will all remain uncontrolled by sovereignty due to the Outer Space Treaty (Bruhns 2016). This mandated document asserts the power that no individual government will have the capability to establish a territory for economic or imperialistic reasons due to legislated policies at a national and international level. Policies have developed the space culture and the permitted actions in space to serve as an incentive for countries to colonize cooperatively. Even the rocket scientist and former administrator of NASA, Thomas O. Paine, during the Apollo missions, discussed how with the dwindling amount of finite resources on Earth, military action is promised to follow (Paine 1992). Extraterrestrial resources have the ability to curtail any violence according to Paine, as we have passed the age of the Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation, we have not completely moved past the tensions that still remain. With the entire world following treaties and compromises in government compacts, the only step is to move forward with the prospects of colonization and international peace through the cooperation of continuing the human race.
National Interests
Focusing more on the colonization of Mars by an international group, Professor Konrad Szocik of Rzeszow University stated that astronauts from other nations living together for years would lead to harsh conflicts based upon national ideology and beliefs (Szocik 2016). But, even Professor Szocik himself considers the truth that the importance and delicacy of the mission will demand cooperation among them. A small group of altruist nonpartisans with the humanitarian interest would be the best solution for solving any short term issues; long term conflicts will be resolved through a common goal of survival. Professor Szocik followed up a year later continuing the reasoning that there are many possible chances for international collaboration that correlate with the future space policy, further enticing an effort to go to Mars (Szocik 2017). Yet, national interests will and have always been present in the world, even as recent as September 2017, journalist Laurie Chen of The South China Morning Post centered in Hong Kong reported that government officials had established simulation sites, geographically similar to Mars, to prepare to make capital from Martian resources in a later time (Chen 2017). Reports on the actions of countries following the path of their own national interests are not new. China is only one example of the growing incentive to colonize celestial objects due to governmental engrossment. Russia has also set objectives for Mars colonization and has planned to land on Martian soil for research and scientific study of the water located in the polar ice caps (O`Callaghan 2018). Countless other nations have made it clear that Martian Colonization is impending and because of national interests, humans as a whole will make it to Mars as time permits it. Regardless of whether it is for capitalist profits or scientific research the interests of countries will lead to the needed colonization of Mars.
Government on Mars
Lastly, with the movement of humans to Mars, the form of government for the new settlement has been a highly debated topic. Prominent figures such as Elon Musk of SpaceX have planned for direct democracy on the arrival to Mars as he stated in an interview at SCSW 2018 (Aue 2018). A government on Mars would need efficiency and practicality in order to work without confusion, nevertheless, the worldwide administration has established that Mars is international territory and a government cannot be established regardless. This technicality may also be the best possible solution to any problems in sovereignty in space as any colonization would be international colonization, not a US, Russian or Chinese colonization. The treaty applies to all entities, companies and governments alike; no one would be able to create a colony, claim sovereignty, and/or legislate rules that prevent access to it (Haskins 2018). With no government, issues on power and control will not be split between opposing forces. The mandated principles in place have established a solid foundation of how any colonizing or exploring will be done under a banner of humanity and international cooperation. This, in turn, creates an incentive for nations as they can only be used “exclusively for peaceful purposes.”
Limitations
However, in some cases, politics have halted the goal of Mars colonization. For example, during the 2018 World Government Summit in Dubai, Director of Hayden Planetarium and astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, asserted that colonization of the foreign world is “entirely absurd” due to current state of people and technology (Creighton 2018). Although this is true to an extent, since Dr. Tyson made that statement, many factors have changed as SpaceX and other private space corporations have developed new, powerful rockets such as the Starship and Big Superheavy, formerly known as “BFR”, which is a fraction of the original cost and has 178% more payload than the previous Falcon Heavy (SpaceX 2018). Regardless of the obvious technological advances provided, the optimism of Mars exploration lies within the collaboration of government and private industry. Since 2006, SpaceX and NASA have been working together in partnership to help the success of one another. NASA has provided SpaceX an estimated two billion dollars every year for the cooperative projects they take part in (SpaceX 2018). These government-industry projects have resulted in the better development of rockets and progression towards a common goal of reaching Mars. Therefore, the argument that technology will never far enough is false, as the government is investing in other companies to build them interstellar vehicles for the future.
Conclusion
Thus the effort into the exploration and colonization of Mars is beneficial for the human race. The current political perspective of government policies, national interests, and conceptual government forms already prove that it would not be legally challenging or controversial. The international collaboration on colonizing Mars would serve as a perfect solution to unify the Earth under the dual concept of advancing humanity and working to build stronger relationships with one another. As we inch closer to our final goal, one step is all it takes for mankind to make that leap for the best.
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