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Price Wynn

Jenifer Park

EN 102-322

15 Apr. 2019

One Small Step For Man, One ENORMOUS Leap For Mankind

In this time frame we live in, due to modern technology, the possibilities are becoming

endless. Not too long ago, getting to the moon was considered an impossible task for the human

race to achieve. But against all odds, we achieved that goal. As of now, the moon is old news.

The next endeavor is mars. I know what you're thinking, “man will never make it to mars and if

we do it will not be during our lifetime”. What if I were to tell you you are wrong? In fact, many

sources say that mars will have the footprint of an astronaut’s boot within the years of 2023-

2030! Whether you look at this mission with an open mind or the, “It's never gonna happen”

attitude, it is very difficult to go against the proof of science. When it comes to this unworldly

topic of mars exploration, there are always the optimist and pessimist. But, regardless of your

belief towards this mission, as science and technology continue to grow, we will be on mars in

less than a decade.

Before going into the interesting details about the journey to mars, such as the mars

rovers or the living arrangements, it is important to address the main question. Is getting to mars

even a possibility? Throughout the years, there have been numerous movies about missions to

mars. But could this be the time where we can turn these fictional films into reality?

When the moon was our main priority, scientists thought the moon's distance from earth

was going to be a huge problem. But, we accepted the challenge and still arrived on the moon

safe and sound. The biggest dilemma with mars is that at its closest point to earth, it is still 34
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million miles away. That is almost 200 times as far as earth is from the moon. “The Earth-Mars

synchronization happens roughly every two years, so every two years there is an opportunity to

fly to Mars.” (Musk) With that two year gap, there is a very small time frame available to

successfully get the rocket underway. There is just one huge factor that you have to take into

consideration. That factor is technology. You see, humans landed on the moon almost 50 years

ago. Just think about how much technology has changed in 50 years. Electric cars, smartphones,

3d printing, and so many other technological advances have changed our ways of life

tremendously. The point I am trying to make is that the rocket that took our astronauts to the

moon in July of 1969 is beyond outdated. It doesn't just stop with the rockets either. It is said that

“Your smartphone is millions of times more powerful than all of NASA’s combined computing

in 1969” (“Your Smartphone Is Millions…”).

Today, there are numerous space programs outside of NASA that have one goal, and that

goal is to develop new technology to be able to expand our research in space. Companies such as

SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are heavily looking into the development of rocket

technology to make this mars trip feasible.

These space programs are also the answer to one of the biggest arguments people have

against this mission, the funding. A lot of the pessimists say that this mission is a waste of the

taxpayer’s dollars. It is very important for these people to understand that these space programs

are all privately funded. Investors and donors are the main sources of income for these programs,

which means the average citizen is not contributing to these space endeavors. Yes, these rockets,

technology, and employees are incredibly expensive. That isn't a secret. But, it is very important

for the naysayers to consider the fact that these programs are breaking ground in the areas of

science and technology that we never knew even existed.

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The biggest technological battle getting to mars is simply the transportation. SpaceX,

which is the baby of the billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been making major progress in

rocket technology. When most people think of the rockets that get us to space, they think of the

massive space shuttle with the two gigantic orange boosters on the sides. Those old rockets

required immense onboard human piloting and much of the rocket can only be used once. This

leads to massive amounts of money being used for only one trip. SpaceX’s goal is to not only

make these rockets more efficient, but to also make it cheaper. These new and improved rockets

can be piloted from the earth and can also be reused! Those big orange boosters that would fall

into the ocean to never be used again have now been replaced with self landing boosters. This is

called “Propulsive Landing” (Musk). What that means is when the boosters fall off the rocket,

they fall back down to earth and pinpoint their landing location. Without a pilot on board, they

land themselves exactly where SpaceX wants them to. This is a key attribute to the success of the

mission due to the fact that it saves a tremendous amount of money that can be used elsewhere.

Now that the boosters have been taken care of, the next step is to figure out how to make

the rockets powerful enough to reach mars. The answer is simple, it is impossible to make a

rocket that powerful without a little additional help. When SpaceX sends up the mars rocket and

it exits earth's atmosphere, it will quickly be met by a booster mid-flight to refill the rocket with

fuel to help it complete more of its journey. Once the rocket is too far out of reach for a booster

to make contact, the rocket will release large solar panels to recharge so it can complete its

mission to mars.

Once the trip has been completed, what do we do once we get to mars? What do we do

about food and water? What is the answer to oxygen or medication? Or just simply put, how do

we sustain human life on mars? These brave souls that are going to take this extremely
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dangerous trip have no idea what to expect. It is impossible to know. There has only been man-

made robots on mars but never a living and breathing human.

The living arrangements for the astronauts is one of the most important problems to

resolve. “All these habitats will likely have a few things in common — they have to be self-

sustaining, sealed against the thin atmosphere, and capable of supporting life for extended

periods without support from Earth” (Nichols). Because mars is around 34 million miles away

from earth at its closest point, it will be extremely difficult to be able to respond to an emergency

and get the proper resources from earth to the habitat in time. That is why it is crucial for these

living quarters to be reliable beyond measure.

Another huge factor is just the all around comfort of the astronauts. As a college student,

I sometimes get claustrophobic just simply sitting in my dorm, but I have the option to go out

and get some fresh air. On mars, living in these small habitats can potentially pose a major

problem due to the fact that the residents will be confined to a very small specific location. Not

only for the sake of the astronauts’ comfort, but also for the sake of their mental health, there will

need to be a plethora of resources and activities to keep them sharp between the ears.

The main goal is to be able to have these habitats function with as little support from the

earth as possible. This is very important when it comes to food. The trait that comes with mars

which holds this back is the atmosphere. This is where the beauty of science comes into the

picture. Botanists, or more simply put, plant scientists have created a leaf that addresses this

problem. “These leaves, made of silicone rubber, can take a little bit of sunlight and turn it into

enough power to fuel the necessary chemical reactions to make medicine and other compounds”

(Nichols). With resources such as these technological leaves, the astronauts will be able to

scientifically engineer food even in the harsh environment of mars.

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One main point you have to take into consideration is the danger of this mission. "The

risk of fatality will be high. There's no way around it. Basically, are you prepared to die, and if

that's OK then you're a candidate for going" (O’Reilly). These brave volunteers have to make a

life-threatening decision. That is one of the very strong arguments one can make about why this

mission is a bad idea. An obvious statement some scientists and the average mars guru say is that

this goal is all happening too soon and too fast. Simply put, we are not ready. Though we’ve

made incredible technological advancements, you can still claim that it is nowhere near where it

needs to be to make reaching mars possible.

Finally, the question everyone wants the answer to, “when will this all happen?” It is very

difficult to predict the time frame because this mission has never been done before. In these

uncharted waters, it is important to address the timeframe with a positive mindset because

“choosing a timeline has a scientific component in addition to a motivational one” (Bachman). A

great deal of the research done on the mars mission is simply scientific theories, or very educated

estimates, if you will. From the very intricate research that has been done, I am going to show

you what the SpaceX timeline looks like. Let me warn you, it is pretty surreal.

It all starts with the first cargo mission. This mission is set to take off in the year 2022.

The goal of the cargo mission is to basically prepare mars for the manned flights to come. On

this cargo mission, water resources will be distributed and the mars surface will be heavily

evaluated for any and all hazards that could potentially harm the crew. In this same cargo

mission, power and mining plants will be placed and become fully operational for the benefit of

future flights. Just two years later in 2024, the first manned rocket will be on route to mars. In

fact, there is set to be two manned rockets and an additional two cargo ships with the necessary

equipment and some more of the basic supplies. From there, SpaceX will begin to break ground
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to build a small community to give the astronauts living quarters and buildings for scientific

research to be conducted. When I first started to research mars I assumed, like many other mars

enthusiasts, that humans would not touch the red planet until long after my lifetime. To see that

the predicted time frame is set for when I am just 24 years old leaves me truly speechless and

beyond excited.

It is very important to take this in stride. Every time frame just mentioned is only going to

be attainable if every single task along the way gets completed successfully with no problems. In

all reality, it is inevitable for there to be a few bumps in the road. I've said it before but I want to

reiterate the fact that it is impossible to know what to expect. None of this technology has ever

been created before. Most of all, humans have never been to mars. No one knows for certain

what can or will happen along this journey. With all of this uncertainty, the bold statements that

we will be on mars within the decade has to be seen through the eyes of an optimist. The “I have

to see it to believe it” observers will never be on board with this argument. But in all honesty, I

can see where they are coming from.

If everyone looked at the mars mission with a closed pessimistic mind, then the

likelihood of man getting to mars will be very slim. That doesn't just apply to the mission. Every

day, it is all about the mindset you have going into this difficult mission we have called life. The

great Thomas Jefferson once said, “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from

achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” No,

getting man on mars will not be a simple task and that will make it easy for the pessimists to

hang their heads and say it isn't possible. But, regardless of your attitude towards this mission, if

you take the rate of growth of modern science and technology into consideration, we will be on

mars in less than a decade.

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Works Cited

Bachman, Justin. “Setting a Date for Landing Humans on Mars.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 8

May 2018 www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-08/can-humans-get-to-mars-in-

12-years. Accessed 8. Apr. 2019.

Musk, Elon. “Making Life Multiplanetary” (Lecture Transcript at The 68th International

Astronautical Conference, Adelaide, Australia). SpaceX. 28 Sept. 2017

https://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/making_life_multiplanetary_transcript_2017.pdf

Accessed 14. Apr. 2019.

Nichols, Megan Ray. “If We Successfully Land on Mars, Could We Live There?”

Astronomy.com, 3. May 2017, www.astronomy.com/news/2017/05/could-we-live-on-

mars. Accessed 8. Apr. 2019.

O’Reilly, Mick. "The Challenge of Getting to Mars." Gulf News [United Arab Emirates], 15 Feb.

2017. Global Issues in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A481334883/GIC?u=tusc49521&sid=GIC&xd=2a8d

694e. Accessed 8. Apr. 2019.

"Thomas Jefferson Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. BrainyMedia Inc, 2019.

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_jefferson_120994 Accessed 9. Apr. 2019

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Your Smartphone Is Millions of Times More Powerful That All of NASA's Combined

Computing in 1969.” ZME Science, 15 Feb. 2019,

www.zmescience.com/research/technology/smartphone-power-compared-to-apollo-432/.

Accessed 9. Apr. 2019.