MARS AND SPACEX
Nasa and SpaceX are looking towards a future where humans have a civilization on Mars. The Economic Times claims that “Musk wants to take humans to Mars in less than ten years and build a metropolis there in twenty.” If Elon Musk builds a city on Mars it will only be filled with oil and chemicals not fit for its natural environment. The same exact thing that’s happening to Earth like global warming, pollution and sea level rise is going to happen to Mars if we continue to allow billionaires and government officials to pursue this destructive ambition. Why are they worrying about interplanetary travel when the Earth is on fire and is crumbling beneath our feet? It seems as though all the people in power – Elon Musk, NASA, and SpaceX – want to do, is push these problems onto Mars and pollute space. Why can’t we fix our own planet before trying to destroy others? A quote from SpaceX- Mission Mars states that Mars is a little bit colder than Earth “but we can warm it up.” Why would they want to warm up Mars? Why not just leave it like it is and observe it from afar? There is absolutely no need to travel there; it is just unrealistic and unhealthy. If humans were supposed to be on Mars, they would be on there already. Earth has been fitted for humans and we have adapted to it accordingly. Going to Mars would be a six-month trip in zero gravity and once arriving, the humans would have to battle the toxic dust, unbreathable air, and radiation that covers the planet’s surface. Those in power seem all too content with facing these challenges, so much so that they seem to be forgetting about the ones currently plaguing our planet. They do not care that the Earth is dying because of their selfish disregard and unheralded dreams. The governments of the world do not seem to care either. It’ll be Mars then Jupiter and Saturn until humanity has single-handedly destroyed our entire solar system.
EARTH POLLUTION
Every single time a rocket launches, it releases about 200 to300 tons of CO2. Annually, 1,000 tons. The effects of these rocket launches are not limited to chemicals and unhealthy substances. They release aluminum oxide, hydrogen chloride, nitrogen oxide, and a plethora of other substances that are harmful to the environment. But clearly, Earth pollution isn’t enough to stop space travel.
SPACESHIP DISASTERS
There have been around 30 astronaut deaths in space and/or while preparing for dangerous space missions. The Challenger Shuttle disaster is one of the most famous and devastating events in the history of space travel. Not very long after the shuttle took off, a fire started that spread up the rocket. Since the rocket was moving so fast, it started to break apart and explode. All seven crew members died in the explosion. NASA didn’t want to delay the launch any longer than it already had been, but if they had been patient and thought about the safety of everyone on the shuttle, things might’ve turned out differently. This event caused the American space program to come to a standstill for three years. Astronauts face a multitude of challenges like space radiation, isolation, higher risk of disease and more. Although astronauts are very brave and courageous, we have to remember that they are still human. We shouldn’t be sending people to space knowing the dangers that it could cause.
THE FUNDS
NASA and SpaceX have spent over $27.8 billion on space exploration and rocket launches. That money could be put towards more beneficial and charitable outlets like building homeless shelters, donating to global warming activists and so much more. Instead, all these organizations want to do is continue to destroy our planet and spend billions of dollars just to put more people at risk, pollute the planet, and let the people who would really benefit from that money –even just a portion of it – suffer, simply due to NASA and SpaceX’s ego. It doesn’t seem right that while some people are in desperate need of money and have whole families to support, they’re just supposed to accept the fact that there are people with billions and billions of dollars who don’t care about humanity at all – not truly – and waste it on trying to get humans to Mars and beyond.
SPACE GARBAGE
There are around 100 bags of human waste on the moon right now, equalling about 200 tons. Since no one in power cares enough about it and doesn’t have the common sense needed to think about trash on the moon, no one’s been cleaning it up. There are probably going to be up to several hundred thousand satellites floating around in space by 2027. There are also about 100 million tons of debris (tiny pieces of trash) floating around up there, which has been dramatically multiplied since the 1960’s. This exponentially growing space junk only increases the risk of satellites crashing into one another and other space machines. Think about how much trash and debris there already is on Earth. With all these continued rocket launches and space explorations, space will end up being just as dirty. Humans are obligated to keep Earth and space clean because we are the only ones (that we know of so far) out there to help keep our planet and atmosphere clean. If space is dirty it will affect our environment negatively and cause air pollution. Air is one of the most important things in our world and without it being clean, it increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer. If we don’t keep our bodies and planet healthy it will cause serious problems for the human race.
In conclusion,
It is imperative that humans stop exploring space to maintain the part of the universe that is so far untouched. Let us take our eyes off of planets miles upon miles away and focus our attention on the planet right beneath our feet– a planet that is in dire need of saving.
