In 1969, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. Today the new goal for space travel private companies to take humans to space. The company SpaceX wants to be the first to send humans to Mars. SpaceX is a private company ran by Elon Musk, who is also was the founder and CEO of Tesla (Shekhtman par. 1). This company wants to take citizens up to Mars and create a community there. They are currently in the beginning stages of this process but have made gains towards their goal. This company is trying to create an industry that could potentially have a huge downfall because of little revenue coming in (David par. 27). In situations like this, a person cannot ignore the facts. SpaceX is accelerating, creating rockets that have made the trip to space and has proven many skeptics wrong with their diligent work to get a rocket to land on the moon (Gebelhoff par. 12). Although SpaceX is succeeding in their adventures towards life on Mars, they have several people that do not agree with some of the information that has come out. SpaceX wants to send people to Mars but provides their customers little help with space training and financial help while trying to find ways to create communities on Mars and figuring out all the health precautions of a space flight.
Argument #1
Going to space is a big deal at NASA, and requires astronauts to go through extensive training. NASA is also extremely selective on who gets to fly to space. Yun Tun Zhai, the author of “What Does it Take for ‘Normal People’ to go to Space?” mentions the amount of applications NASA receives each year and how many people are actually accepted into the training program. Zhai states that NASA receives close to 18 thousand applications each year for the astronaut position yet only 338 astronauts have gone to space (par. 3). NASA is extremely selective with who gets to train and hopefully launch into space. This also shows that NASA only selects their top astronauts to travel into space to reduce mission failure. In Russia, the astronaut candidates go through strenuous training to prove they are fit for the job. These Russian Astronauts are put into the woods with basic gear and are required to dive into a lake there to train in conditions similar to space (Howell par. 1). The astronauts are tested physically and mentally while down in the underwater simulation because of the tight quarters the astronauts are living in (Howell par. 1). Basically, Elizabeth Howell, the author of “How to Train Your Astronaut,” is saying that this training is extremely difficult on the astronauts as they are asked to do several things in tight quarters and with other people. Astronauts go through extensive training to better prepare for life in space, which is different from life on Earth. In addition to extensive training, training for NASA and the Russian Space program take years to complete and provide a challenge for the candidates, but this process proves their worth. According to Howell, “. . .[Astronauts] have private medical conferences...and private psychological conferences . . .” (par. 15).” Astronauts have to learn how to do simple tasks in a zero gravity environment. Howell explains that the astronauts have to learn to use the toilet and an exercise bike (par. 2). The astronauts also have to learn how to prepare, eat, and clean up in zero gravity and also how to perform simple and complex maintenance inside and outside of the space shuttle (Howell par. 2). These simple tasks that anyone can do become more difficult with the absence of gravity. Astronauts also go through classroom-type training. This training teaches astronauts how to deal with certain situations like stress, conflict, and awareness in all situations (Zhai par. 15). These trainings offer the astronauts a better time in space because they have this base they can use to make their team better, along with the various other skills that the astronauts learn through the whole training process. Astronauts use their training to help themselves better survive in space along with their private conferences with doctors.
Counter Argument #1
The race to get humans to Mars has begun, this time private companies are working towards commercial space travel. These competitors are private companies like SpaceX. SpaceX is run by Elon Musk whose goal is to get humans to Mars. Musk is currently looking for volunteers who are willing to risk their lives to get to Mars (Zhai par. 2) He wants these volunteers to understand this before they take the step up to volunteer to go into space. Musk also states that “We're trying to make it such that anyone can go. . .maybe a few days of training” (Zhai par. 2). Musk’s point is that training is not important but getting people’s money is more important. On the other hand, Musk has made plans for training with two individuals. Currently, there are two individuals who have made a deposit and will start training sometime this year (Masunaga and Mitchell par. 4). Though Musk does not come straight out and say what kind of training these aspiring astronauts will go through, the training will likely be similar to the NASA astronaut training. Ultimately, the more training these volunteers receive, the better condition they will be when the volunteers go into space.
Argument #2
Any trip that a person goes on costs money including going into space. When going to space, volunteers need deep pockets. The company SpaceX has explicitly said that the volunteers would have to pay their way (Masunaga and Mitchell par. 1). The market for people willing to go to Mars and have enough cash to pay for the trip is extremely small. Lonnie Shekhtman the author of “Elon Musk Details Plan for SpaceX Mars Mission. What Would That Look Like?” states, “Musk estimates that a trip to Mars would cost about $10 billion per person” (par. 4). This price is for just one person and the average person cannot afford to go if the price is $10 billion. This would take a long time to raise the money for the average person, therefore Musk must not want just any person to go into space then. This statement of the price proves the point that space travel is not cheap and the price to go is one of the biggest barriers that potential people will face.
Counter Argument #2
On the other hand, SpaceX is able to provide the rockets that will take passengers into space. According to the SpaceX website, the launch for a Falcon Heavy costed millions and millions of dollars (Masunaga and Mitchell par. 8). The cost for the launches come out of the companies money and do not help the passengers except for safely going into space. Admittedly, SpaceX has rockets to send people to space but the passengers going to space do have to pay a quite large sum of money just to board the space shuttle. However, rockets have not even came close to landing on Mars. Shuttle rockets have not came close to Mars let alone transport humans to the moon (Shekhtman par. 4). The technology for the trip to space is currently unavailable. Pursuing this goal without the technology needed is a waste of time. The scientist behind the rockets could spend their time working on ways to keep the human population here on Earth.
Argument #3
When and if the human race makes the trip to Mars, they will need to create the environment and their communities; can the human race survive on Mars? According to Michael Lind the author of “Human Spaceflight Should End,” “Animals never leave a comfortable environment for a harsh one . . . that is why Buffalo…[do not] march off for Death Valley…” (par. 12). This trip would be hard because the people will have to create new communities and an environment that all can live in. Currently, on Mars there is a limited amount of oxygen and when and if humans do get to Mars, oxygen would be a key part in survival. According to Charles Cockell, an astrobiologist at the University of Edinburgh, "If somebody gets control of oxygen [on Mars], they could...threaten dire consequences in return for extraordinary levels of power" (Shekhman par. 11). In this case, a monopoly would form and separate the communities rather than bring them together. The morale on Mars will lower because of the monopoly of the oxygen supply. For those that do make the trip to Mars, this would be a waste of their money to get to Mars and there is a limited amount oxygen available there. Furthermore, life on Earth will not be the same as Earth is now. There will come a point where the human race cannot survive on Earth. According to Adam Rogers the author of “Space Tourism Is Not Worth the Human Risk,” “Eventually this planet is going to be unlivable, either because of something we humans do to it or something natural” (par. 8). There will be two cause for the deterioration of Earth and those are humans or a natural event. Instead of going to Mars, can researchers dig down and find a way to stay on Earth but under ground? The reality is, we can stay underground in bunkers for longer and at a more affordable price (Lind par. 15). We will be safer and will take less time for the population to be safe. This process will not take us as long as a trip to Mars would and would provide instant shelter in a crisis like a super volcano eruption that makes Earth unfit for us to live on (Lind par. 15). The biggest proponents to stay on Earth are the environmentalists who study our Earth. They believe that we should spend our money and time on our planet than those that are around us and in far away galaxies (Schwartz par. 3). We have lots of room under our feet to explore and create fallout shelters. This way the human population does not have to board space shuttles and fly to a foreign planet when humans can stay safe in their underground home.
Counter Argument #3
On the other hand, Mars also has a harsh climate. According to Louisa Preston the author of "Humans Should Colonize Mars" “...subzero temperatures,…CO2-rich atmosphere, high UV [ultraviolet]-radiation and savage global dust storms, ...most clement environment in the solar system…” (par. 3). Although Mars has no favorable conditions for human life with the high UV radiation and the extremely low temperature that are present each day, the planet’s environment is the closest to Earth’s environment. With this harsh climate, agriculture cannot happen. Preston also states that agriculture will be the biggest problem in creating a community on Mars (par. 4). If agriculture is not an option for food growth on Mars, then the point of moving to Mars is implausible. Other than the harsh climate and lack of plausible solutions for agriculture, Mars and Earth are several thousand miles apart. In addition to being several thousand miles apart, Mars has a different orbit than Earth which can vary the distance between Mars and Earth depending on where Mars is on its own orbit (Hernandezpar. 8). This can drastically affect the climate that Mars faces, which can either be warmed or colder. This trip to Mars will show humans how harsh the climate is there and can show that Mars is not the place to move the human population.
Argument #4
Space is full of radiation and zero-gravity that is harmful to humans. According to Cristina Hernandez the author of “Astronauts in Mars Shot Would Face Many Health Risks” states that the average amount of radiation that a human comes into contact with is right around two milliSieverts(mSv) each year while astronauts receive from 80 mSv to almost 160 mSv (par. 20). The difference between those numbers are giant. Radiation is measured in mSv, and one mSv is similar to three x-rays (Hernandez par. 19). That is way above what a human body can take in radiation. The space suits do not even help protect astronauts from the dangerous amounts of radiation they are exposed to in space. Other than radiation, gravity is another big factor with the astronauts. Brian Todd the author of “Mayo Doc's Stem Cell Experiment Blasts into Space” reports that gravity is a dominate factor in how gravity affects the human body through a person’s height and bone size (par. 9). Gravity plays a huge part on Earth because of gravity's ability to affect the human body. Meanwhile in space, gravity has the opposite effect on the astronauts. Hernandez states, “When astronauts experience a lack of gravity, they have an increase in bone fractures and kidney stones due to little bits of calcium that they have” (par. 23). No gravity has negative effects on the body and makes the body weak. Gravity and radiation are dangerous forces that hurt the astronauts while they are in space.
Counter Argument #4
In opposition, astronauts have to worry more about their health due to no gravity and the Ultra Violet rays from the Sun. While in space, astronauts need to exercise to keep their cardiovascular system in check so there are no major health concerns (Hernandez par. 25-26). NASA wants their astronauts to be healthy when they go into space so the chance of someone’s health does not deteriorate. A person in weak health is a huge liability since these astronauts are far away from the nearest hospital. The diet of an astronaut while in space is different than one on Earth. The astronauts eat food that has high amounts of antioxidants to help the astronauts stay healthy (Hernandez par. 17). This diet can help the astronauts stay healthy and as a result the astronauts can perform their job while in space. However, there is still testing going on to help better prepare astronauts when going into space. This experiment is through the Mayo Clinic and focuses on the stem cells of the human body. Rogers states that “Dr. Zubair, an associate professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the Mayo Clinic . . ., prepared a science package involving stem cells. . .” (par. 2). The Mayo clinic is helping NASA and SpaceX find more ways to protect the people the organizations send to space. The experiment will help tremendously in helping with health precautions and hopefully save some lives. On the other hand, the lives of astronauts are still at danger when the astronauts take the trip up to space.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SpaceX will provide their astronauts with little space flight training and no help with the financials while trying to find ways to develop communities on space and identify the possible health precautions that could take place. Space travel will continue as long as the equipment is up to date and new equipment is built to better the odds of the human race landing on Mars. SpaceX has created reusable rockets and is now the face of the new and improved space program with a huge goal in mind. However, SpaceX will have a small pool of people that would want to go to Mars due to the cost of the trip. If the cost to go to Mars is reduced by billions of dollars, then more people will be more intrigued to go. The NASA Space Program was a success and now that success has transferred to the private companies who are trying to make Mars a plausible option for the human race to go to.