Around the turn of the 20th century, American astronomer Percival Lowell sparked the imagination of the public mind with “evidence” of intelligent life on Mars. Having observed what he insisted was a series of canals that could only have been designed and constructed by sentient beings—perhaps to access the water stored at the dry planet’s ice caps—Lowell published a series of books arguing for the existence of Martians.
It’s fortunate that Lowell did not live long enough to learn that his “canals” were actually the product of an optical illusion.
Even in the absence of little green men, Mars has continued to fascinate and inspire over the years. We’ve sent probes, landers, and rovers, starting with the Mariner program in the ‘60s and culminating—thus far—with the successful landing of the Curiosity rover last week.
Twice as big and five times as heavy as Opportunity and Spirit—its rover predecessors—Curiosity is designed to withstand anything the Red Planet throws its way, from dust storms to rough terrain. Ultra-durable construction, extensive redundancy, and a plutonium-based power source make Curiosity one of the most rugged pieces of technology ever deployed in space exploration.
It may seem incongruous with the hard times our nation is experiencing to spend $2.5 billion on something many people must view as a societal luxury. After all, understanding the history of Martian geology is cool and all—if you’re into that sort of thing—but how does it help us address the economy, hunger, global warming, or any of the other pressing earthly issues we face?
In the short term, it doesn’t. As nice as it would be to live in a Star Trek reality where space exploration ultimately holds the key to all of humanity’s woes, that is unfortunately not the case. But, in the long term, space exploration in general—and Mars exploration in particular—are worthwhile investments for a society interested in its own future.
It’s well known that products such as Velcro and the microwave oven have their root in technologies developed for space exploration. But so do cordless tools, scratch resistant lenses, and even the soles on the bottom of your Nikes, just to name a few. The technologies that are developed in pursuit of space exploration inevitably lead to things that improve our daily lives—and inspire no small amount of economic activity in doing so.
Space tech hasn’t eradicated world hunger, but it has led to the development of more efficient ways to store and transport food, exemplified by the aluminum packets of tuna available in most grocery stores nowadays.
And when it comes to global warming, we have a hard time even agreeing to the parameters of a conversation, much less a plan of action. An argument could be made that this is a result of the billions of dollars that certain corporate sectors have spent misinforming the public on the issue, but that is neither here nor there.
What Curiosity teaches us about the history of the Martian climate—and how the presence or absence of water played into that history—will provide valuable insight into the future direction of Earth’s own climate. This could potentially help us get a better idea of how a planet goes from having surface water to being a barren rock, and what, if anything, we can do to prevent a similar fate for our home.
Aside from the direct technological and scientific benefits, achievements like the landing of the Curiosity rover also remind us what we as a society are capable of, in our moments. It is easy to get discouraged and buried beneath the constant tales of corruption, greed, and incompetence that our so-called leaders inspire.
But, despite our many flaws and foibles, we are a sometimes a great people, capable of wondrous achievements. It’s good to be reminded of that truth in a way that isn’t related to how much bigger our military phallus is than everybody else’s. And because space exploration is an endeavor that benefits all humankind, it supports the perception of the United States as respected world leader, as opposed to arrogant hegemon.
In these tough times, it is more important than ever that the younger generations are inspired to believe in the power of human capability and potential. We want kids to see Curiosity and dream about exploring Mars (and beyond) themselves one day. To know that incredible possibility exists in the real world, and not just the imaginary one.
Whether said dreaming leads to actually becoming an astronaut is beside the point. The very act of dreaming will inspire them to become something greater, and that benefits us all.
In a short time, possibly even before this piece goes to print, the micro-attention span of the public will have largely turned away from Mars towards whatever new spectacle is trending on Twitter. But it was a nice moment last week, when the nation—and the world—stopped what it was doing and contemplated the universe beyond the blue sky.
