Sending humans to Mars is short sighted

Some have claimed that there are potential benefits for sending a human crew to Mars  but none of those benefits will directly address climate change, world hunger, overpopulation, large scale war, asteroid impact nor other possible future problems. It is highly  possible that landing a human crew on Mars will not have any significant impact on these issues.

No Mars programs have explicitly claimed that their purpose is to save the human race. 

The idea is that if we have a human presence on Mars, then we would have a second chance if something were to happen to Earth. We could send resources and people to Mars to help them survive, and we could also use Mars as a staging ground for future missions to other planets.

However, there are also many challenges to establishing a human colony on Mars. The environment on Mars is harsh and unforgiving, and it would be difficult to provide the resources that humans need to survive. It is also not clear how we would transport people and resources to Mars in a timely manner.

The idea of sending humans to Mars as a way to save the human race is still very speculative. There are many challenges that would need to be overcome before it could be a reality. 

Mars is sparse of the metals or other resources that we need for technology. The atmosphere on Mars is very thin and the temperature on Mars is also extremely cold.

The idea that we could also use Mars as a staging ground for future missions to other planets is even less possible, considering what earth will go through just to send one crew to Mars, much less sending a large population to Mars, and then somehow staging them on Mars and further transport them to yet another planet, even further away and less hospitable is only wishful thinking.

If not Mars, then where?

The next logical planet that could potentially sustain human life better than Mars is Kepler-186f.

Kepler-186f is an exoplanet that is located in the habitable zone of its star, which means that it could potentially have liquid water on its surface. Liquid water is essential for life as we know it, so the discovery of Kepler-186f has excited scientists who are looking for other planets that could support life.

Kepler-186f is about the same size as Earth, and it has a similar temperature. However, Kepler-186f is located about 500 light-years from Earth, which means that it would be very difficult to send humans there in the near future.

Another promising exoplanet is Proxima b. 

- Proxima b is located in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, which is the closest star to Earth. Proxima b is about the size of Mars, and it has a temperature that is similar to Earth's. However, Proxima b is also located very close to its star, which means that it could be bombarded with radiation.

Both Kepler-186f and Proxima b are promising candidates for future exploration, but it is still too early to say whether or not they could actually support human life. 

However, the discovery of these exoplanets has given scientists hope that we may one day find a planet that is truly habitable.

Here are some other exoplanets that have been identified as potential candidates for supporting life:

- GJ 667 Cc

- HD 40307 g

-TRAPPIST-1e

- Ross 128 b

- Gliese 581 d

These exoplanets are all located in the habitable zone of their stars, and they have some of the same characteristics as Earth. However, it is still too early to say for sure whether or not they could actually support life.

We could develop new propulsion systems that would allow us to travel to other planets more quickly. We could also develop new life support systems that would allow us to survive in the harsh environments of other planets.

Here are some possible future propulsion systems in space that could possibly achieve speeds closer to that of light speed:

- Nuclear thermal propulsion. This system uses a nuclear reactor to heat a propellant, such as hydrogen, to very high temperatures. The hot propellant is then expelled through a nozzle, creating thrust. Nuclear thermal propulsion could theoretically achieve speeds of up to 10% of the speed of light.

- Ion propulsion. This system uses electricity to accelerate ions, which are charged particles. The ions are then expelled through a nozzle, creating thrust. Ion propulsion is very efficient, but it produces very low thrust. This means that it would take a long time to reach high speeds with ion propulsion.

- Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) propulsion. This system uses a magnetic field to accelerate a plasma, which is a hot, ionized gas. The plasma is then expelled through a nozzle, creating thrust. MPD propulsion is very efficient, and it can produce higher thrust than ion propulsion. This makes it a potential candidate for future space propulsion systems.

- Beamed propulsion. This system uses a laser or other beam of energy to accelerate a spacecraft. The beam of energy heats the spacecraft, causing it to accelerate. Beamed propulsion could theoretically achieve speeds of up to 99% of the speed of light. However, it would require a very powerful beam of energy, which would be difficult to generate and focus.

These are just a few of the possible future propulsion systems that could achieve speeds closer to that of light speed. It is still too early to say which system will be the most successful, but these technologies offer the potential to revolutionize space travel.

In addition to these propulsion systems, there are also some theoretical propulsion systems that could theoretically achieve speeds of up to or even faster than the speed of light. These include:

- Warp drive. This is a hypothetical propulsion system that would create a bubble of space-time around the spacecraft, causing it to warp and travel faster than the speed of light. Warp drive is still purely theoretical, and it is not clear if it is actually possible.

- Alcubierre drive. This is another hypothetical propulsion system that would create a warp bubble around the spacecraft. The Alcubierre drive is more theoretically sound than warp drive, but it would still require exotic matter, which is matter with negative mass.

- Antimatter propulsion. This type of propulsion uses the annihilation of antimatter with matter to produce a tremendous amount of energy. This energy could be used to accelerate a spacecraft to very high speeds. Antimatter propulsion could potentially achieve speeds of up to 90% of the speed of light.

These theoretical propulsion systems are very exciting, but they are still a long way from being realized. However, they offer the potential to revolutionize space travel, and they are sure to be the subject of much research in the years to come.

Despite these challenges, the development of future propulsion systems that could achieve speeds closer to that of light speed would open up the possibility of interstellar travel. This would allow us to explore other star systems and potentially find new homes for humanity.

Considering the enormous  amounts of time, money, labor and technology that will be expended in the current Mars mission, it makes more sense in setting our sights on more hospitable destinations and investing in future propulsion systems.

-Unlikely Buddha 2023