The timeline of a manned mission to Mars is subject to change, but when the first humans set foot on the red planet, what will be there to welcome them? The child inside us may hope for Bugs Bunny's nemesis Marvin, but that will probably not be the case. One last quote from Carl Sagan seems appropriate here, addressing what happens if we discover life on Mars. He said, "Mars then belongs to the Martians, even if the Martians are only microbes."
Sagan pushed for the scientific ideal of leaving Mars as its future explorers find it — relatively unsullied by humankind. Still, after our great curiosity allows us to travel there and examine its secrets in person, there will be an inevitable impact. Putting boots on the Martian ground will likely change the environment, violating a treaty that may have lost its meaning even before this point. As we discover more about the Martian surface, we will further understand what technological breakthroughs will be necessary for us to prevail there. The timeline may change, but we will get there eventually, whether the motivation is from continued curiosity or ensuing necessity. And once the human race arrives, colony or otherwise, its presence will be enduring, if only on the microbial scale.
The timeline of a manned mission to Mars is subject to change, but when the first humans set foot on the red planet, what will be there to welcome them? The child inside us may hope for Bugs Bunny's nemesis Marvin, but that will probably not be the case. One last quote from Carl Sagan seems appropriate here, addressing what happens if we discover life on Mars. He said, "Mars then belongs to the Martians, even if the Martians are only microbes."Sagan pushed for the scientific ideal of leaving Mars as its future explorers find it — relatively unsullied by humankind. Still, after our great curiosity allows us to travel there and examine its secrets in person, there will be an inevitable impact. Putting boots on the Martian ground will likely change the environment, violating a treaty that may have lost its meaning even before this point. As we discover more about the Martian surface, we will further understand what technological breakthroughs will be necessary for us to prevail there. The timeline may change, but we will get there eventually, whether the motivation is from continued curiosity or ensuing necessity. And once the human race arrives, colony or otherwise, its presence will be enduring, if only on the microbial scale.
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