NASA had a good week. It isn't often that any government agency or private corporation reveals two potentially landmark events in the same year, let alone the same week.
Last Monday, directors revealed a plan for returning to the moon by 2020 and establishing a permanent facility on the moon with six-month tours of duty for astronauts (or perhaps lunarnauts?) by 2024.
This piece of news by itself has caused a lot of discussion. Commentary from the nation's pundits have ranged from the enthusiastic to the outraged, with some applauding NASA's efforts to expand humanity's tenuous grasp upon the cosmos while others deploring what they see as a waste of resources.
NASA's week was not yet over, however. Last Wed., scientists announced there was strong evidence that water had flowed upon Mars' surface within the last five years. According to the announcement, pictures of gullies taken between 1999 and 2005 show changes that are difficult to explain by anything other than flowing water.
The second announcement has reopened the possibility of life on Mars and has made it increasingly important for human observers (or at least very capable robotic counterparts) to land there and study the Red Planet.
Once again, however, there are those that believe that such a mission would cost far too much for a very low payoff. Indeed, some argue that even if a payoff did exist, in the form of discovering extraterrestrial life, the announcement of such a find would create incredible turmoil on earth during the integration of such knowledge into the societal worldview.
What underscores the entire debate, however, is the growing realization that this planet will not last us forever. Whether we use up the natural resources available, expand beyond a sustainable level, or merely survive until the sun's natural cycle causes it to expand to a radius that would consume this world, we're going to have to find another place to live, eventually.
Accompanying that knowledge is the realization that there are no easy answers to this problem. Physics tells us that there are no jump gates, there is no hyperspace and there definitely won't be a warp drive any time soon. In fact, barring a sea change in our understanding of the physical universe, it is very likely that any cross-galactic voyage would involve sitting in a ship at far below the speed of light for years on end.
Our spaceflight institution is definitely not up for that task any time soon. However, NASA's announcements have created a road map for us to follow. First, establish a (small) human presence on the moon. Then, take some trips to Mars and (many years down the line) establish a base there. These are small steps for mankind, to be sure, but hopefully we will be able to take the leap when it is required for our survival as a species.
These are heady thoughts, all clichAcs aside. It's not easy to think about events hundreds or millions of years in the future while a substantial portion of the world's population is concerned about surviving through the next week. However, without some push at the top, there is nothing worth surviving for.
Keaton Miller is a junior majoring in math and economics. Think he should go to the moon himself? Or just write more columns like last week's housing spectacular? Let him
know at keatonmiller@wisc.edu and he'll take all suggestions into consideration when Keaton it Real returns next semester.
