50 Years Ago Today: The Races Into Space

Things have changed since 1968, and astronautics is no exception. But while 1968 falls into the time slot of the famous “Space Race,” which ultimately led the U.S. to the “finish line” by being the first to land humans on the moon, 2018 is in the midst of a race of its own: landing humans on Mars.  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, more commonly known as NASA, is currently undergoing three explorations with the goal of sending humans to the Red Planet. The first exploration, “Earth Reliant,” is taking place from the International Space Station and involves conducting research needed to understand what is needed in order for humans to live in space for extended periods of time. “Proving Ground” is the second mission which will assess the crucial elements needed for humans to survive on Mars itself. The third, “Earth Dependent,” is composed of testing several robotic demonstrations and rovers to finally send people into low-Mars orbit in the 2030s. But NASA’s not alone, Elon Musk’s “SpaceX” has vigorous plans of its own to “make life ‘multiplanetary.’” SpaceX aspires to complete a mission in 2022 to test livability on Mars, confirm water sources and set up initial power operations to support humans in the future. In 2024, they plan to launch rockets with crew to create their first base which they hope will eventually build a “thriving city and self-sustaining civilization on Mars.” The main trouble as of now with Musk’s endeavors is the price tag. Could it really be possible to someday book a ticket to Mars for as little as $200,000? Well, only the future can tell. But for our generation as youth living in 2018, we should expect to see space explorations just as, or more, historical as ones seen in the 1960s.  For teens growing up 50 years ago, they knew of flying far beyond Earth’s atmosphere as something only attainable for highly trained astronauts. But for all we know, we could be planning a five-star vacation to another planet in a few decades. Of course, a word of advice to anyone who dreams of adventuring off our planet would be to find a career that makes your wallet pretty hefty.  For anyone who wants to learn more about the potential future for people on Mars, I recommend reading “The Future of Humanity” by Michio Kaku, which dives deeper into terraforming, immortality, and interstellar travel.