Not on the Route

WE’VE BEEN TALKING a lot about establishing a permanent base on the moon. Not an easy play. Everything would have to be imported: air, food, possibly water (depending on the presence of ice), energy. 

Sounds a lot like Phoenix.

The Chinese have been having the same conversation. I think there’s a good chance they’re sandbagging us. I have this nagging feeling that they’re talking about building a moon base just so we’ll divert our own resources to doing the same. Meanwhile they’ll be working toward their real goal, Mars. 

That’s where we should be going, and not just because Ray Bradbury said so. A reporter once asked Ray what his reaction would be if the Chinese beat the US to Mars. “Good for them,” was Ray’s reply. See, like a lot of people who grew up reading science fiction, Ray was about the forward progress and ultimate survival of humankind. Not politics. Not tribalism. 

It needn’t be so. We simply have to focus our energies. If we can make Phoenix work, a metropolis of millions in the middle of the desert, we should be able to make a station supporting a few dozen on Mars. We already know that Mars has a lot of ice, and where it is. What’s needed is energy to process it. Mars offers solar power, wind, perhaps other sources. A compact nuclear power station would solve the energy problem. 

Mars also has gravity. Far more than the moon. Maintaining muscle and skeletal health would be a lot easier on Mars. The moon’s gravity is about one-sixth that of Earth. That of Mars is 38%. You could get an honest workout on Mars. Your bones and muscles, not to mention your eyes, brain and circulatory system, would fare a lot better.

The main reason to skip all the expense and effort of putting a base on the moon is simply that we’ve been there. There ain’t much to see or do unless you’re a geologist. Mars presents the opportunity to study far more interesting geology, an atmosphere different from our own, and perhaps answer the greatest question of all: did life develop and evolve somewhere other than Earth? We’ll get to Enceladus and Titan eventually, but right now they’re beyond our ability to study with anything other than machines.

A nice, tidy cave or two on Mars would solve the housing problem while simultaneously offering protection against radiation. No need to transport all those complicated building supplies you see on the old SF book and magazine covers. If you find an enticing but leaky cave, seal the inside with an industrial strength expanding sealer. What works to close a hole in your roof can be configured to do the same to cave vents on Mars, and will be a lot easier, cheaper and safer to ship than prefab buildings. 

There’s something to be said for the psychology of living on Mars vs. on the moon, too. The moon looks like an ultimate vision of death and desolation. Mars looks like Yuma. If you’re going to live somewhere for years at a time, you have to consider the mental as well as the physical health of your colonists. What they see every day is a consideration. Mars may not be the most relaxing outpost to emplace humans, but compared to the moon it’s the French Riviera.

“You’ve seen one crater, you’ve seen ‘em all,” I can envision moon visitors muttering. As our redoubtable rovers have shown us over the years, that will never be an issue on the infinitely more diverse surface of Mars.

Folks talk about using a moon base as a step toward Mars. Why not just skip an (unnecessary) step? If we need an off-Earth step, let’s rebuild the space station. On a larger scale. At least we know what an Earth-orbit station can be used for, and it’s a lot more than just a way station to Mars. And if we are going to explore the outer planets and try to mine the asteroid belt, Mars offers a far more enticing way station than the moon.

We don’t even have to be scientific about his. With the necessary amenities a given and pictures of the available destination sites available, where would you rather take a trip, the moon, or Mars? I don’t think there would be much discussion. You know that the Chinese are going there. We should, too. Ideally, of course, we would go together — cheaper, more practical, less jingoistic waving of tribal totems. We could name the first base jointly. 

I vote for “Barsoom.”

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