The Promise

Humanity may never go beyond Mars. Our spacefaring ventures may come to an end around the confines of the Martian orbit. While these statements may sound like heresy to the current ethos humanity is operating under, it may prove to be the inevitable path for our space journey.

Mars represents the extent of the proverbial rubber band of human resource management. Humans, will bring to bear their full ingenuity, sheer brute force, and collaborative synergies to settle Mars. This will be quite the admirable task. Vital components will be harvested and manufactured through a combination of earth and space produced resources to settle the planet. However, as we all know, carrying the proverbial kitchen sink is not the way forward beyond a certain distance. Mars represents that distance. Everything humans do to get us to settle Mars will represent the pinnacle of our ingenuity up to that point. Beyond which we will be left with some daunting questions and contemplations. In order for us to even get to that state of contemplation, on any meaningful or serious manner, will require us to first brute force our presence on our nearest planet. Only after this conquest, will we afford ourselves the luxury of the deep contemplation required to strategize the journey further onward.
Mars is quite the harsh environment. Mere proximity to planet Earth does not equate to an even remotely hospitable environment for human habitation. Martian environment is misunderstood specifically because it is one of our closest neighbors and as such we think it to be in the sphere of habitable zones for humans. There are a myriad of challenges uniquely present on Mars that make it quite an inhospitable place. While going into full details here is beyond the scope of this discussion, a few highlights are requisite to the position being presented. An instance of such is the radiation present on the Martian surface. This will expose humans to undue medical challenges from prolonged exposure. This radiation dynamic alone is enough to drive humans below ground on Mars. One of the most prudent courses of action on Mars will be to utilize the lava tubes already present on the Martian landscape and settle underground. This will allow protection from the dangers of radiation that are omnipresent on the Martian surface. No amount of human made, extensive and outsized, shielding can provide the level of protection that is simply available so easily below ground in the lava tubes.
Allowing mother nature to guide us to levels already created below ground will foster the path in space which we have neglected so eloquently on Earth…a partnership between humanity and mother nature. The concept of mother nature extends beyond the confines of planet earth. It is only the confines of the human mind and our understandings that place limits on the natural universe which ordain such concepts to individual terrestrialities. Mother nature is as vast as mother universe. Both of which we will come to understand better as we expand out not only in our physical space but also in the mental space called our mind.

To foster the continuation of humanity beyond Mars, Space Stations offer a possible solution. However, it is as limited as an aquarium being carted around a neighborhood. The fish cannot engage with the environment, in any meaningful way, unless they come out of the tank, without limitations. While space stations may be great for near earth or CIS Trifecta placements, for all intents and purposes, they may prove exorbitantly harder for human sustainment for deep space travel. Whence we are at the precipice for optimizing deep space travel, the simplest course of action will be human DNA tweaks rather than environmental re-creations. Humans have throughout history exemplified optimization as the best course of action for any assigned task. Deep space will not be any different.

There are many challenges facing humanity in its journey into Space. Once we are ready to leave the confines of near-earth settlements, we will be faced with the dilemma. Either we adjust the environment or we adjust ourselves. Together we will find the best course of action to proceed.

However, one constant will remain. Humanity operates with a guiding principle that has been there since the evolution of our species on planet earth. That guiding principle is love. Much akin to that of loving parents who nurture and foster the growth of their children, they know deep in their heart, that their children are meant for far greater accomplishments than themselves. In fact, it is the very foundation of humanity. All loving parents want and expect their children to exceed them in every way possible and to not suffer from the limitations that the parents had to endure. Their sacrifices are a testament to their doctrine. Humanity shares a sacred bond between generations that spans beyond time and all its ensuing trials. That bond is the Promise.

When we stand at the precipice of the next leg of our journey into deep space, we will be reminded of our sacred bond and understand the empowerment we will need to bestow upon future generations. The greatness of humanity is its ability to span beyond its own time and its selfless nature for its next of kin. And like all loving parents, we will empower our children for deep space with all that they need to prosper, way beyond our time and space. We will honor our sacred bond and celebrate the selfless nature of humanity by fulfilling The Promise.