Over the past few years, the future of human exploration in space has been much
debated, and numerous representatives of the political, scientific or academic
worlds have expressed the most disparate opinions on how NASA should plan a
mission to the red planet. In the recent past, strategic uncertainties at NASA reinforced many criticisms and doubts about the space program, to the point that in
2015, the agency was even equated to “a spaceship headed for nowhere”
29
by
some congressmen. And private citizens have also had their say. American engineer Robert Zubrin founded the non-profit organization Mars Society in 1998 to
support the colonization of Mars and to persuade the government to finance
NASA. He has gained considerable popularity by publishing books and organizing conferences on the subject. But even Zubrin cannot justify many of his reasons
except by declaring that “if NASA had not only the necessary economic investments, but primarily political support, in ten years men could go to Mars. However,
the situation is going in the opposite direction”.
30
The current change of pace seems to be materializing precisely because it is
supported by geopolitical as well as industrial needs. The decision to reduce funding for the ISS and the openness of partnering with private companies are leading
the US government to support a new generation of companies that will benefit
from NASA’s expertise and facilities, evolving space operations from an explorative phase to a truly exploitative one. In this way, they will shape a new period of
American technological, geopolitical and commercial superiority. In light of this,
former President Trump signed an executive order on April 2020 regarding the
public and private exploitation of resources in outer space. The order, labeled
Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources,
31
instructed the Secretary of State to initiate conversations with foreign nations
about potential arrangements concerning the harvest of space resources. This culminated in the elaboration of the so-called ARTEMIS Accords,
32
which describe
how the US vision for new principles, based on the principles of the Outer Space
Treaty, will create a safe and transparent environment that facilitates exploration,
science and commercial activities in outer space.
In the twentieth century, US domination in space was ensured by two pillars:
the first consisting of NASA’s programs with a strong media impact such as
Apollo, the shuttle and the ISS, and the second based on the Pentagon’s achievements such as the SDI and the GPS. Now in the twenty-first century, a third pillar
29
US House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. 2015. Hearing Examines Impact of
President’s Budget on Deep Space Exploration. https://science.house.gov/news/press-releases/
hearing-examines-impact-president-s-budget-deep-space-exploration.
30
https://space.nss.org/the-significance-of-the-martian-frontier-by-robert-zubrin/.
31
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-encouraging-international-support-recovery-use-space-resources/.
32
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html.
128 Mars: Next Stop?
debated, and numerous representatives of the political, scientific or academic
worlds have expressed the most disparate opinions on how NASA should plan a
mission to the red planet. In the recent past, strategic uncertainties at NASA reinforced many criticisms and doubts about the space program, to the point that in
2015, the agency was even equated to “a spaceship headed for nowhere”
29
by
some congressmen. And private citizens have also had their say. American engineer Robert Zubrin founded the non-profit organization Mars Society in 1998 to
support the colonization of Mars and to persuade the government to finance
NASA. He has gained considerable popularity by publishing books and organizing conferences on the subject. But even Zubrin cannot justify many of his reasons
except by declaring that “if NASA had not only the necessary economic investments, but primarily political support, in ten years men could go to Mars. However,
the situation is going in the opposite direction”.
30
The current change of pace seems to be materializing precisely because it is
supported by geopolitical as well as industrial needs. The decision to reduce funding for the ISS and the openness of partnering with private companies are leading
the US government to support a new generation of companies that will benefit
from NASA’s expertise and facilities, evolving space operations from an explorative phase to a truly exploitative one. In this way, they will shape a new period of
American technological, geopolitical and commercial superiority. In light of this,
former President Trump signed an executive order on April 2020 regarding the
public and private exploitation of resources in outer space. The order, labeled
Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources,
31
instructed the Secretary of State to initiate conversations with foreign nations
about potential arrangements concerning the harvest of space resources. This culminated in the elaboration of the so-called ARTEMIS Accords,
32
which describe
how the US vision for new principles, based on the principles of the Outer Space
Treaty, will create a safe and transparent environment that facilitates exploration,
science and commercial activities in outer space.
In the twentieth century, US domination in space was ensured by two pillars:
the first consisting of NASA’s programs with a strong media impact such as
Apollo, the shuttle and the ISS, and the second based on the Pentagon’s achievements such as the SDI and the GPS. Now in the twenty-first century, a third pillar
29
US House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. 2015. Hearing Examines Impact of
President’s Budget on Deep Space Exploration. https://science.house.gov/news/press-releases/
hearing-examines-impact-president-s-budget-deep-space-exploration.
30
https://space.nss.org/the-significance-of-the-martian-frontier-by-robert-zubrin/.
31
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-encouraging-international-support-recovery-use-space-resources/.
32
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html.
128 Mars: Next Stop?