Predictions about how we will build life beyond Earth in the future have been made by many science fiction writers, inventors and scientists. But for now, the Moon and Mars hardly look any more accessible than they did a few decades ago.
As journalist Jared Lindzon writes in an article for Fast Company, the biggest barrier to this is in our heads.
Yes, there are many problems standing in the way of achieving audacious goals beyond the Earth, including budgetary and technological ones. But, according to experts who recently gathered in Germany to discuss this topic, all restrictions are quite surmountable.
Why are we still standing still?
Lack of will and motivation
“The biggest hurdle we have to overcome is the mindset: ‘I wake up on planet Earth, I work on planet Earth, I have fun on planet Earth, I go to sleep on planet Earth, so why should I do anything else? ? Lindzon refers to a statement by Jeffrey Manber, CEO of Nanoracks, which conducts experiments on the ISS and develops products for it. According to him, little progress has been made in space exploration since the first landing on the moon, and the point here is far from technological abilities. “The iPhone gets updated every year, but we can’t innovate as fast when it comes to space development,” he notes.
Lack of leadership
Canadian astronaut Robert Tersk, who spent six months on the ISS, said this waning of enthusiasm was partly due to a lack of visionary leadership. The ambitious aspirations embodied in the policies of leaders such as former US President John F. Kennedy were largely lost over the following years, he said. And without strong leadership, decision-makers and organizations become less willing to provide and spend massive resources to achieve greater progress in space exploration.
Difficulties in adaptation and feeling of loneliness
There is another problem: even if we manage to master another planet, psychological barriers may prevent us from staying there.
Floris Whites, professor of physics at the University of Antwerp, believes that the impossibility (or difficulty) of returning back, as well as moving away from their native Earth, can greatly complicate the life of future people who decide on a long-term stay on conditional Mars.
“Going into Earth orbit, you know that if you run into really big problems, you can come back. If you’re on Mars and don’t even see the Earth among other space objects, this feeling of loneliness can have a huge impact on you,” he says.
A different angle of view changes everything
If, on the contrary, you see your planet, this can relieve some psychological barriers: if the Earth remains in sight, the passion for exploring the Universe may, on the contrary, increase. This, for example, happened to a Canadian astronaut. “Viewing your home planet from an orbital perspective changes you psychologically,” notes Robert Tersk.
Only after recognizing the vast scale of the Universe and the tiny place of man in it, it becomes clear how fragile human civilization is. As Tersk adds, this image can help rally the world around a common cause that will require international cooperation.
“No nation on Earth has the resources or expertise to explore deep space,” he said. “In these difficult geopolitical times that we are going through today, international cooperation is the way to ensure global security.”