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One of the wonders of space is the planets and one, in particular, has retained humans’ attention for more than forty years. A large amount of money has been funded so that one day we may propel ourselves to Mars and build a civilization. Nevertheless, the money invested in this project is not worth it for the time being. This money could undoubtedly be spent adequately on increasing quandaries such as health care or poverty which could have severe repercussions on the economy, including the future of our beloved children.

 

Mars holds several mysteries that captivate our imagination. As a result, NASA and SpaceX have set to themselves the task of elucidating these puzzles by creating adapted technologies that will facilitate a journey between Earth and Mars. Several reconnaissance missions have been carried out in order to learn about its features so one day we can colonize it. On the other hand, many are querying about the possibility that a visit to Mars could be achieved and if the investment associated with this project is worth it. A lot of money is needed to reach the desired expectation, and many countries such as Burundi, Mali face much more consequential obstacles that deserve our attention.

 

Travelling to Mars is not a simple task and a lot of equipment is required. We need: well-adapted vehicles, medical equipment, repair kits and the list goes on endlessly. All this equipment will be needed because a crew will be sent for 3 years on Mars. According to SpaceNews, who covered major news in the space industry, the overall cost for pioneering Mars will amount to $120.6 billion till 2037. These sums include Mars mission expenses, such as NASA’s Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft and much more (Foust). In the long run, the investment to develop and maintain civilization on Mars could exceed $1.69 trillion (Glikson). This is their investment while the basic needs of the citizens living in poor countries aren’t met.

 

Those billions of dollars would be useful in a struggling and crumbling society like ours. A portion of this money could be invested: in education, climate change, health care, security and most importantly poverty. It is utterly absurd that $1.69 trillion will be misused on Mars while, each year, 805 million people perished from lack of nutrition. Also, 22,000 children are dreadfully vanishing each day because they do not have even a crumb to eat. Such money would be profitable to provide food for our children. It is unquestionably ridiculous that in 2019, approximately ½ of the world's population - 3 billion people are living with an amount which is less than $ 2.50 per day (DoSomething.org). 

 

If Mars is more significant than responding to the fundamental necessities of the Earth’s citizens, then is there a possibility for colonization on Mars especially when looking at its lower gravity and the health risk related to it?

 

In zero gravity, it is essential to do exercise to prevent muscle loss, thus the osseins weaken, making the risk of injuries more frequent (Plumer). As study shows, there’s a potential threat that Mars gravity is as harmful to human health as zero gravity. Therefore, Mars lower gravity could conceivably be one of our biggest concerns. Furthermore, Another study shows that the negative health effects of Mars’s gravity could affect human fertility making it a struggle to produce offspring who are the future. Finally, health problems related to the heart have been observed and the negative effect may remain for years (Graf). Instead of spending money to help many citizens who are living in an environment where there is a lot of health risk problems, let’s invest money to send them on Mars where an extremely high potential of health risks issues have been observed.

 

Mars’s environment is dangerous to human health. Mars distance from the sun means that it is much colder than Earth and the average temperature is about minus 60 degrees celsius (Sharp). A more problematic fact is that Mars soil is toxic to humans, meaning that you can't grow plants, trees or vegetables. Let’s not forget that Mars has enormous sandstorms that could last for days and weeks (Plumer). All this is for us to realize that there are more significant problems than travelling to Mars. Mars won’t make us richer. Mars won’t resolve the problems that society is experiencing; it will only bring more problems. Mars won’t save the lives of billions of people dying each day. How can we hope to build a civilization in a hostile environment such as Mars, when for half of the population of Earth, it is a question of survival?

 

All in all, we live in a society that still struggles to survive, and Mars won’t help change this unbearable fact when looking at the investment behind it. The cost is extremely expensive and the danger associated may cost plenty of lives. It is therefore uncertain that this project can be achieved. Moreover, this money could help our society to live, not just survive. It is up to us, Earth residents to be acquainted with these circumstances, and to make our voice heard because the space industry doesn’t comprehend our struggles nor our misery. For humans, Mars is a dream that can wait, it is a dream that cannot help the citizens of Earth who are affected by a disturbing reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Work Cited: 

“11 Facts About Global Poverty.” DoSomething.org, 

https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-global-poverty. Accessed 17 Oct. 2019

 

Brown, Eryn. “Is Exploring Mars Worth the Investment?” Phys.org, Phys.org, 31 July 2012, 

https://phys.org/news/2012-07-exploring-mars-worth-investment.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2019.

 

Foust, Jeff. “Independent Report Concludes 2033 Human Mars Mission Is Not Feasible.” 

SpaceNews.com, 18 Apr. 2019, 

https://spacenews.com/independent-report-concludes-2033-human-mars-mission-is-not-feasible/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2019

 

Glikson, Andrew. “Before We Colonise Mars, Let's Look to Our Problems on Earth.” 

Phys.org, Phys.org, 28 Dec. 2017, https://phys.org/news/2017-12-colonise-mars-problems-earth.html. Accessed 21 Oct. 2019

 

Graf, Konrad S. “The Unbearable Lightness of Martian Gravity: Health, Evolution, and 

Colonization.” Medium, Medium, 14 Dec. 2016, https://medium.com/@konradsgraf/the-unbearable-lightness-of-martian-gravity-health-evolution-and-colonization-1884912efcf5. Accessed 19 Oct. 2019

 

Jones, Brad. “All the Reasons Why Humans Shouldn't Colonize Mars, According to 

Experts.” Futurism, Futurism, 17 Nov. 2017, 

https://futurism.com/humans-shouldnt-colonize- mars-experts. Accessed 12 Oct. 2019.

 

Plumer, Brad, et al. “The Top 7 Ways a Trip to Mars Could Kill You, Illustrated.” Vox, Vox, 

24 Feb. 2017, https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/9/30/13099898/mars-death-risk-illustrated. Accessed 16 Oct. 2019

 

Sharp, Tim. “Mars' Atmosphere: Composition, Climate & Weather.” Space.com, 

Space, 12 Sept. 2017, 

https://www.space.com/16903-mars-atmosphere-climate-weather.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

 

Teller, Danielle. “It's Completely Ridiculous to Think That Humans Could Live on 

Mars.” Quartz, Quartz, 30 Oct. 2015, https://qz.com/536483/why-its-compeltely-ridiculous-to-think-that-humans-could-live-on-mars/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2019