Moving to Mars, an essay

yes, I'm so proud of TS that I'm posting abt it on my blog.

At night, if you are someone who stargazes, you might see a reddish-orange dot in the sky, that doesn’t twinkle but rather glows compared to the other stars. That’s Mar, our next possible home, but some people debate on whether we should visit it, or should just leave it alone. I am of the opinion that Mars should be left alone.

According to the NASA website on Mars, Mars has a thin atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon gases; while Earth's is made up mostly of nitrogen and oxygen, along with the remaining %1 of other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, and neon. The amount of oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars? Around 0.16% to 0.174%, compared to Earth's 20.95%. Argon gas is usually a colorless, odorless gas that makes up around 0.93 of the daily atmospheric pressure. However, if that concentration reaches 33% or more, hypoxic asphyxiation occurs, which, according to the Mayo Clinic website, is when there are low levels of oxygen in the blood. If this persists, death could occur. Carbon dioxide can be breathed in small or low concentrations. If too much carbon dioxide is inhaled, the following result may be convulsions, coma or death. According to a study done by the University of Arizona in 2022, Mars might’ve had a denser atmosphere, that might’ve been carbon dioxide and hydrogen rich. However, that was around 4 million years ago, and isn’t the Mars we know today.

Also, we cannot forget the temperature. According to an article by the National Air and Space museum, the average temperature of Mars is -80 degrees fahrenheit. According to Matthew Shindell, curator of planetary science and exploration, “The temperature on Mars right near the surface, in the path of the Sun, is going to be a lot warmer than if you were to raise even five feet up. There might be a 15-20 degree temperature change between where your feet are and where your head is if you were standing on Mars.” Mars temperature, according to the NASA website, can range from 70 degrees fahrenheit to as low as -225 degrees fahrenheit, compared to Earth's usually stable temperatures. Although, global warming has warmed up Earth’s temperature a considerable amount…

However, the biggest issue would most likely be the cost. A small study done by the Texas Tech University estimated that the cost for the first human mission to Mars would cost “half a trillion dollars,” when that money could be spent on repairing the damage we caused to Earth, such as the climate change and the pollution that's poisoning the oceans. Another source to back up this claim is the Britannica page on Space colonization debate; “If a workable solution were found and implemented, a project of that magnitude would cost billions, perhaps trillions, of dollars.”

While some may argue that going to Mars is necessary, using reasons such as the Earth will not last forever, humans may benefit from the exploration, that it's a humane need to push the boundaries that we know and are used to, or that the costs will significantly go down as Mars travel becomes more common. Using these examples is perfectly reasonable, of course, but do not change my opinion. Take the cost example. Why use money to move to another planet instead of repairing the damage we’ve caused to this one?

Moving to Mars is risky, and a most likely a suicidal mission. While I hold no annoyance to those who may make a rebuttal against my claims, I am still of firm belief that we should fix Earth. The next time you go to stargaze, and see that reddish-orange dot in the sky, that doesn’t twinkle but rather glows compared to the other stars, remember that moving there isn’t the only solution to survive and meet your future generations.