The Dream or Deception of Going to Mars?

 

The Dream or Deception of Going to Mars?

The promises to go to the Moon and Mars have been made and broken by astronauts since the 1940s. Some people became billionaires by deceiving the world through such ideas. The colonialists conquered Africa and Asia in the 16th century CE and are exploiting these continents directly or indirectly to this day. They did not stop going to Africa and Asia but one wonders why they would stop sending humans to the Moon.

Anyway, let us learn when this idea of going to the Moon and Mars entered the minds of people.

Main Milestones in Human Efforts to Reach the Moon

 Historical Planning and Cold War Era (1950s-1970s)

- 1961: US President Kennedy commits to landing a man on the Moon by the decade's end, launching the Apollo programme; the Soviet Union announces manned lunar plans.

- 1968: Apollo 8 — First humans orbit the Moon (Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, Bill Anders).

- 1969: Apollo 11 — First crewed landing (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin; Michael Collins in orbit); Armstrong takes his first steps on 20 July.

- 1969-1972: Five more successful Apollo landings (12, 14-17) with Apollo 17 (Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt) as the last in December 1972; a total of 12 humans walked on the Moon. [Or it can be a big April fool joke in human history.]

- 1960s-1970s: Soviet programme fails due to N1 rocket explosions; cancels crewed lunar efforts in 1976 and shifts to uncrewed missions and stations.

 Post-Apollo Gap and Renewed Plans (2000s-2010s)

-2004-2010: US Constellation programme aims for a Moon return by 2020; cancelled in 2010.

- 2017: NASA initiates the Artemis programme for a sustainable human lunar return.

 Recent and Ongoing Developments

- 2022: Artemis I — Successful uncrewed Orion test to lunar orbit.

- 2024: SpaceX’s dearMoon private lunar flyby project (funded by Yusaku Maezawa) cancelled due to Starship delays.

- As of late 2025: Artemis II (first crewed Orion lunar flyby) targeted for early 2026 (for example February-April); crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen.

- Mid-2027: Artemis III — Planned first crewed landing since 1972 (using SpaceX Starship HLS; about 6.5 days on the surface).

- Late 2028 onward: Artemis IV and later missions for Lunar Gateway integration, extended stays, rovers and habitats (up to 180+ days by the mid-2030s).

- By 2030: China targets its first crewed lunar landing (two astronauts via Long March 10, Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lander); on track with ongoing tests.

- By 2035: China-Russia International Lunar Research Station planned as a collaborative base.

 History of the Mars Missions

-1948-1953: Wernher von Braun's The Mars Project – First detailed technical plan for a manned Mars expedition with a fleet of ten spacecraft and seventy crew members.

- 1969: Von Braun's post-Apollo proposal – Presented an integrated plan to follow Moon landings with manned Mars missions in the 1980s.

- 1989: President George H. W. Bush's Space Exploration Initiative – Called for human missions to Mars after returning to the Moon; cancelled due to high costs.

- 1990: NASA's 90-Day Study – Detailed report on human Mars exploration following the establishment of a Moon base.

- 1990s: Mars Direct (Robert Zubrin) – Low-cost architecture using in-situ resource utilisation for propellant.

- 2004: President George W. Bush's Vision for Space Exploration – Set human Mars missions as a long-term goal after a Moon return.

- 2009: Augustine Committee Review – Evaluated options for human Mars exploration.

- 2010s: NASA's Journey to Mars – Flexible path including asteroid redirect leading to Mars in the 2030s.

- 2017 onward: Artemis programme – Moon-to-Mars strategy using lunar missions to develop technology for human Mars landings in the late 2030s or early 2040s.

- 2016-present: SpaceX Starship plans (Elon Musk) – Private proposal for crewed Mars missions starting in the late 2020s aiming for colonisation.

However, we should pray to God to make such missions successful if they benefit humanity. 

(Sahil Sharifdin Bhat )