Humans seem to have never stopped exploring the outer space since their inception. In 1969, astronauts landed on the moon, which represented a landmark in humans’ history. In similar fashion, humans intend to send a manned spacecraft to Mars. The mystery of Mars is always fascinating to humans on earth throughout the history. Some powerful nations are competing for space exploration, especially for a Mars mission. However, some people argue that a Mars mission is a considerable risk currently. Personally, I strongly believe that the benefits could surely far outweigh the risks.
Opponents claim that a Mars mission may be the most expensive expedition in U.S. history. In 1989 NASA estimated that a people-to-Mars would cost $400 billion, which inflates to $600 billion today. However, such an argument neglects a fact that a Mars mission may allow humans to know more about the Earth. Due to Mars’ similarity to earth, humans have the potential to find some primitive forms of life on Mars. It’s important to note that scientists have found evidence of water on Mars. Recently, scientists have successfully used robotics to analyze the compound of rocks on Mars. If people were sent to Mars some day, they could investigate the results in depth. According to Thomas Gangale, “If Mars is dead now, but was once alive, understanding how Mars died may give us a crucial understanding of how close we are coming to killing the Earth.”The more we know about the neighboring planet, the better we will treat the living things on earth. Humans will get a different perspective on life at that time.
Opponents also maintain that a Mars mission is a blind competition for the leading position in science and technology. However, this judgment is dogmatic. Despite the fact that many powerful nations and space agencies attempt the space exploration, sending a manned spacecraft to Mars evinces the reinforcement of the national military. For instance, Chinese scientists