News: Human Spaceflight Should Drive Evolution
Ye Old One
Lee Pullen
Astrobiology Magazine
SPACE.com lee Pullen
astrobiology Magazine
space.com Thu Jan 22, 11:32 am ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090122/sc_space/humanspaceflightshoulddriveevolution
Plans for human exploration of the solar system and beyond often
polarize opinions among the public and scientific communities.
Some believe that humanity should progress outwards one stage at a
time, while others insist that greater scientific returns are to be
had by launching bolder missions, with humans exploring the planets
sooner rather than later. Dr. Kai Multhaup, a physicist working at the
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster in Germany, is firmly in the
"one step at a time" camp, as he recently explained at Europlanet's
Planetary Science Congress.
Solar system dwellers
It is a serious dilemma that faces space exploration policy makers:
establish a foothold in low-Earth orbit and plan new manned missions
to the moon, or concentrate on robotic exploration of planets such as
Mars? Multhaup's stance is clear: "We were cave dwellers, and now
office dwellers. The next step is for us to become solar system
dwellers." He believes that humans must progress into space, not only
to advance science but to appeal to our natural sense of adventure
and, ultimately, to ensure the survival of our species.
"Human spaceflight is not just about science," says Multhaup. "I see
it as a driver for evolution. We are an exploratory species, and when
we have the technology to go somewhere, we do. It's about culture and
the human desire to evolve and expand, and to protect ourselves
against catastrophes which can erase life on planets and end
civilizations."
He believes that there is much to be learned from prolonged manned
missions to the moon, and the experience is necessary before
successful ventures to more distant worlds such as Mars. "The space
shuttle and station are often criticised," he says. "They have their
flaws, but they are important. You can't take the shuttle to the moon
or attach an engine to the International Space Station and send it to
Mars, because they aren't designed to explore. They are meant to
operate in low-Earth orbit, and teach us how to live and work there."
Giant leaps for mankind
To date, the majority of solar system exploration has been conducted
by machines. Multhaup acknowledges their value, especially when
probing worlds far too distant to send humans with our current
technology. But, "robots can only do so much," he says. "They have
been a great success, but there are millions of programmers working
for many hours just for them to roll half a meter and take a look at
something. If you send a geologist to Mars you could do a whole lot
more in a shorter period of time."
Then there is the issue of inspiring the public. Taxpayer money funds
space missions, and while robotic probes raise interest, nothing
captures the imagination quite like human exploration.
Previous missions to our natural satellite certainly achieved that,
but Multhaup thinks we over-reached. "A lot of people were inspired by
the Apollo missions to the moon, and of course it was a great thing,"
says Multhaup. "But it was like taking the second step way ahead of
the first." He thinks that by rushing to the moon without establishing
a long-term presence in low-Earth orbit, it was inevitable that the
momentum to send humans to explore space fizzled out.
A vision for the future
So what does Multhaup think would be a sensible exploration plan? He
says it is important to continue a presence in Earth orbit using
constructions like space stations. The next step is to establish moon
bases, which will eventually become permanent human colonies. Next
would be a grand mission to Mars, during which the first human steps
will be taken on a planet other than our own. After this should come
intensive investigation of the asteroid belt and possibly mining
operations to provide resources for bases built progressively farther
out. Finally, we would move on to the icy moons of gas giants like
Saturn. Ice is likely to be very useful if not essential for human
existence far beyond our home planet, and moons such as Enceladus
could turn out to be like oases in a desert.
Multhaup is keen to stress that this strategy would almost certainly
take centuries to implement. But by taking things one step at time in
a measured approach, he thinks momentum will be built up and future
progress will be steady.
Of course, Multhaup's opinion is just one among many. Some believe
that the best approach to the exploration of space is to always send
robots rather than humans, while others think we should look beyond
low Earth orbit and lunar settlements, and instead focus all our
efforts on sending humans to Mars. Debate about the direction solar
system exploration should take is often fierce, and there are
countless factors to be taken into account, including the scientific
value of missions and the political support for them. Discussing the
issues and weighing the pros and cons of different approaches today
will eventually determine our future in space.
--
Bob.