IMS_Blog

So George W Bush has announced another intitiative of his dad’s he’d like to finish off. At least this is a good one though. Back to the Moon - and onwards to Mars. (BBC news coverage, Google news search).
Well it’s obviously a political card, trying to capture some sort of mood before elections (what mood isn’t that clear though). However, who cares the reasonings, the vision is still there. Let’s go to Mars. Finally stop just going round and round our little planet and go somewhere interesting (we don’t exactly manage to do much up on ISS these days anyway). And why leave it to the US to have all the fun/glory/burden. The ESA should be on the phone to NASA asking to come along on the ride as well (maybe they could have a look for poor Beagle when there). To go to Mars is to explore and bring the benifits that entails in the same spirit that only a few centuries ago sailors would set out across the seas. We may know where we’re going but, like them, we certainly don’t know what well find.
The difficulties are many but it is from difficulties that we advance. It may be costly but we can find funds for many less worthy things (and anyone who complains at this juncture about spending on world hunger etc should explain exactly what they should do and then agree we should stop spending on art, sport, their nice car…)
Mars has beckoned ever since we understood our, and its, place in our little system whirling round the Sun. About time we answered its call, let’s go to Mars!