I don't believe in little green men.
But I want to go to Mars.
I can barely express my longing.
Words seem inadequate.
If I were younger, or perhaps born in the next generation, I would train for the Mars mission. When human beings reach Mars, it will bring us that much closer to the worlds I dream about when I read science fiction - the dreams of like-minded dreamers.
There are serious issues:
Is it fiscally responsible?
Should we invest so much money, time and scientific expertise when so many are cold, hungry and lack medical care here on earth.
What will we do when we get to Mars? Claim it in the name of warring nations? Pollute it? Fill its orbit with space junk? The amount of junk in our own orbit is disgusting, heart-breaking.
We don't have the right to do this to another planet.
Reaching the moon was once such a dream. Some still dream of making its surface livable, planting grass of the floors of a permanent space station. The international space station we have seems so clunky and unromantic.
I want to go to Mars.
My husband, a space program fan since he was a little guy, says if we don't go to Mars, we might as well not have done any of it. The whole point is to push out farther. (In his opinion.)
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