Get Your Ass To Mars!

Buzz's GYATM T-shirt at Stonehenge

Yep.  I can dig it.   Get your ass to Mars.  No, not Douglas Quaid in the movie Total Recall.  This is actually what Astronaut Buzz Aldrin says, and he's serious.  Buzz, you may remember, was the second man to walk on the moon, and he and Neil Armstrong planted the United States flag there.  He was also the first person to take Holy Communion on the moon, which impresses me.  He's clearly a man of conviction, and was chosen in both NASA Gemini 12 and Apollo 11 missions.  But his campaign to incite the Kenyan and NASA to begin a manned Mars program is gaining traction, as he personally addressed congress in February.  

Moon Soil Contains Helium-3

Admittedly, a manned Mars mission is not only technologically challenging, but expensive.  But this current administration seemingly can't summon the exploratory passion to return to the moon, which I think could be a profit making event.  Our robotic rovers indicate both the Moon and Mars are rich in minerals, and a mining expedition would, in my opinion, yield windfall profits.  Aside from the minerals returned to Earth, and this includes some heavy metals such as gold, and unique isotopes of helium that we know of so far.  And the inevitable development of new technologies would be economically beneficial, as well.  Remember the avalanche of technological development during and after the Moon landings?  Everything from miniature transistors to circuit boards to air filtration systems to Velcro was developed for those missions, and now they all are prolific in everyday life.

Let's Explore Next Door!

Much has been written about the manned Mars colony project known as Mars One, but the sponsoring Dutch company has a lot of homework to do before such a venture would be possible by the year 2023.  I think mining should precede any human colonization, for two reasons:  First, such a venture would ensure a pay-as-you-go funding apparatus for mining expeditions and general exploration, and second, mining would debug and work the kinks out of life support and round trip transportation issues at the very least, as we learn to terraform around any indigenous life we may - make that will  - find there.  

There are countless reasons for man to go back to the Moon, and on to Mars.  Because they're there is only one good reason.  So NASA, get your ass to Mars!