If I Were On Mars, essay by Devangi Chaudhari

“The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.”

I look towards Mars and the space beyond, not merely as an opportunity to put my country’s flag of conquest on its virgin land but as a fertile land to sow seeds of freedom and peace, confident of unearthing new springs of knowledge and understanding which would nurture humanity for millions of years to come.

Mars, the red planet, has captured the earthlings’ imagination as a probable future destination. Factually Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and gets its red colour due to abundance of iron-acid in its atmosphere. Its two moons, Phobos and Deimos, are its crowning glory. Mar's atmosphere is very thin and consists mostly of carbon dioxide, thereby rendering it inhabitable for any life form.

However, numerous studies have established that Mars can be made habitable by complex technology and science and I want to be upfront in such endeavours. I have always been hopeful of establishing a new home for humans on Mars, unpolluted and unabashed by human greed. On landing there, I would first experience the joy of discovering the new frontiers and then set up a laboratory to conduct experiments to turn Mars habitable. I would also explore Mars to discover new resources and life forms to address problem of resource crunch and sustainable living on earth and set up practices which would take care of preserving Mars’ resources and characteristics, unlike what we have done on earth.

Overall, if I were on Mars, I would definitely like to make the trip count through studies, experiments and insights which would open new horizons for humanity and make them humble and respectful to the laws and universe.