Humans should colonize Mars by 2050.

Before I say my points, which are the benefits of going to Mars by 2050, I will say how exactly we will travel to Mars in this time frame. If we were to try and go to Mars now, the trip would take much too long, but currently, technology is being created to make the trip last just 90 days. This technology, harnessing the power of nuclear fusion, is actually being developed right now by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, or NIAC. Nuclear fusion is the same process that fuels the sun, and it is extremely powerful. This technology would make 90 day trips to the Red Planet possible, team members working on the project say. They also say that this technology will be finished soon. So now I will list my points. P1: Going to Mars ensures survival of life on Earth. The only home humans have ever known is Earth. But history shows that surviving as a species on this tiny blue dot in the vacuum of space is tough and by no means guaranteed. The dinosaurs are a classic example: They roamed the planet for 165 million years, but the only trace of them today are their fossilized remains. A colossal asteroid wiped them out. We seem to be edging towards the verge of something like this also. With a United Nations estimate of 10 billion people by 2050, we need to have more space to continue to live and thrive as we are currently. Putting humans on Mars can better ensure our existence for thousands if not millions of years from now. "If this species is to survive indefinitely, we need to become a multi-planet species. " Charles Bolden, director of Nasa, says. "Getting to Mars will be a "stepping stone" " first we need to get there, then we (or our descendants) can start talking other solar systems and galaxies" he continues. We need to start thinking about the future generations of mankind, the ones who will lead this species in the years to come. Previously, we have messed up with things like global warming, nuclear waste, and much, much more that has harmed our Earth, possibly permanently, but for once, we need to get this done, and think about the future of humanity. Stephen Hawking sums this contention up, who says, "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of. " P2: Going to Mars has overwhelming economic value. Mars has much to offer in the way of natural resources that make it very valuable. For example, there is a large quantity of rare metals on Mars such as platinum, silver and gold, according to Red Colony. Mars is also abundant in deuterium (i. e. , heavy-hydrogen). This natural gas which is comparatively very rare on Earth can be used in fusion reactors to produce an inordinate amount of energy. It has even been estimated that a milliliter of liquid heavy-hydrogen fuel would generate as much energy as 20 tons of coal. Likewise, the main asteroid belt near Mars could be mined for its rich supply of minerals, and many of these natural resources could be transported back to Earth for a substantial profit. Robert Zubrin, an American aerospace engineer and the former Chairman of the National Space Society, points out that "Mars is singular in that it possesses all the raw materials required to support not only life, but a new branch of human civilization. "[9] Like Earth, Mars has a rich supply of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. All of these elements are readily accessible on the planet in the forms of carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas and ice. [10] The amount of ice and permafrost on Mars could even be melted to form vast oceans. In short, Mars has all the elements that allow a human colony to be self-sustaining. But it gets even better. By artificially inducing global warming on Mars through outgassing, humans will also be able to terraform the planet so that biological life can thrive there without the aid of technology, says National Geographic. In other words, terraforming Mars would allow it to become very similar to Earth in terms of its atmosphere and environment. Once we develop the technology for such a project, the vast resources of Mars would likely make this endeavor economically feasible. Although terraforming Mars is not necessary to set up colonies, this possibility shows the incredible potential that the planet has for human life.