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When and if humans ever make it to Mars, will that landing and those first steps become the most watched event in the history of mankind, up until that point?
I was trying to think of other global events that could bring billions of people across the globe together besides of course the World Cup, aliens landing on the White House lawn and the 2nd coming of Christ/the Rapture!
What's so great about that depressing, hostile, dead planet Mars? We are destined to stay on Earth forever, only here can we thrive as we are completely adapted to it, forged by it over millions of years.
Flying to Mars as such is just physics and engineering...
If we ever make it there, it would certainly be a marvel of engineering, technology, and teamwork. But....
... as others have said, we're bound to this planet. A much more profound event would be us fully waking up to the importance of this planet. It might not be as newsworthy, but we need to move away from sensationalism anyway. The wow and dazzle syndrome is temporary and momentary. A healthy and sustaining priority for the future - on the other hand - would be timeless, for the benefit of mankind and all living creatures.
What's so great about that depressing, hostile, dead planet Mars? We are destined to stay on Earth forever, only here can we thrive as we are completely adapted to it, forged by it over millions of years.
Flying to Mars as such is just physics and engineering...
Maybe, maybe not. It depends on a number of biological, engineering and technological issues, the answers to which are not yet known:
1. The ultimate terraformability of Mars to Earthlike conditions
2. The ability of humans in our current, earth adapted form to develop and reproduce normally in 38% of Earth gravity.
3. The future ability to genetically engineer our bodies or even transfer our consciousness into bodies made of different material which could allow us to survive on planets with alien atmospheres or even without atmospheres.
Maybe, maybe not. It depends on a number of biological, engineering and technological issues, the answers to which are not yet known:
1. The ultimate terraformability of Mars to Earthlike conditions
2. The ability of humans in our current, earth adapted form to develop and reproduce normally in 38% of Earth gravity.
3. The future ability to genetically engineer our bodies or even transfer our consciousness into bodies made of different material which could allow us to survive on planets with alien atmospheres or even without atmospheres.
Why focus on Mars?
Anyway, turning a dead planet like Mars into another Earth with an atmosphere (without it radiation would be too strong, temps too low, etc.) would take millions of years after someone started it artificially (which would require us to transport giant amounts of stuff from Earth to Mars, impossible due to the cost), if it is possible at all. For instance, Mars doesn't have a hot core unlike Earth, if I am not mistaken. That alone is a key difference. And I think it doesn't rotate, either.
It might make more sense to focus on new transport tech so that we can multiply the fastest speed currently possible. Then we might go to planets and moons farther away, which are already more like Earth to begin with.
If we turned into some sort of cyborgs, it would not be us anymore.
Anyway, I think the first landing of humans on Mars will end up the same way as the first landing of humans on the Moon. A little nationalist ego party, followed by a black hole of disinterest.
A space program designed around making the Solar System habitable needs to be optimized around boot-strapping space industry and make it mostly self-sufficient through in situ mining. Putting boots on Mars is mainly about national prestige, and is only beneficial in the long term if it improves the space infrastructure that ultimately leads to an industry base. With that in mind, I think a Mars mission should use mainly flexible, multi-mission hardware that can also take teams to near-Earth asteroids for mineralogical exploration.
But yes, a manned Mars landing will be widely watched. Whether it sets a record or not, is probably only of interest to history books.
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