Mars Social Impact

Social Impacts of Human Mars Travel For years, many scientists have considered Mars to be the next great frontier for human exploration. Following the successes of unmanned Mars rover missions, human travel to Mars is closer and closer to becoming a reality. These rapid advancements create a wide variety of new challenges for astronauts to overcome. When planning a manned mission to Mars, it is necessary to consider the social impacts of this situation on the astronauts’ interactions with each other while on the mission as well as the changes to the international community as a whole.

Mars travel puts astronauts through extreme conditions, including isolation, confinement, and limited resources (Dunn). The demands of this situation
One option that is emerging with recent advancements in technology is the use of virtual reality as a therapeutic exercise for astronauts or as a substitute for their usual human interaction on Earth. A recent study has found that virtual reality systems can be used to treat anxiety disorders such as social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (Wu). The same techniques used to treat these disorders are being considered for astronauts on long space missions. If astronauts are able to experience relaxing or familiar settings through virtual reality, the effects of social isolation and confinement will likely be decreased and the astronauts’ social health will improve. The virtual reality systems allow astronauts to spend time by themselves in a simulated world, which also lessens the effects of confinement and lack of privacy on productivity. Some researchers are even considering the use of virtual reality to replace human interaction for astronauts. If artificial intelligence technology continues to develop, astronauts may be able to interact with virtual people to help combat the potential conflicts arising from confinement with a small group. This would allow astronauts to experience social diversity while in space. In the most recent HI-SEAS experiment, participants were also given access to a virtual reality system while in the dome.
As seen through past space missions, “the impact of seeing Earth from space..dramatically affect[ed] our relationship to the natural world” (Dick). The space age allowed humans to see a different perspective of Earth in the universe, and it changed the general public’s perspective of Earth’s importance. During the peak of the space program, environmental conservation efforts grew tremendously and a push to preserve our fragile home planet was started (Dick). Just as sending humans to space and the moon affected the lives and perspectives of society, sending humans to Mars will change those ideas yet again. In all of history, humans have never set foot on a foreign planet. Such a tremendous event can change current ideas of the limitations of humans and the world. It is impossible to know at this time, however, if the reactions will be positive or negative. Will the possibility of a new home planet decrease respect for Earth? Or will it fuel even more advancements in science and technology that save lives and change the world for the better? Whatever the outcome, a manned Mars mission will change life on Earth dramatically. In addition to the change of perspective, researcher Azam Shaghaghi predicts that “only a worldwide cooperation...could succeed [in travelling to Mars]” (Shaghaghi). Since this project requires large amounts of money and highly