Motivation, Feasibility, and Ethics of Colonizing Mars

Space exploration has excited Americans since the Space Race in the 1950s, which led to humans first stepping foot on the Moon in 1969. The next goal in space exploration is to send humans to Mars, which is driven by scientific interest and the current advancing climate change, overpopulation, and resource depletion of Earth. The potential habitability of Mars makes the planet more amenable than other planets in our solar system for supporting human life, which private companies claim will allow humans to successfully colonize the planet. However, many scientists and ethicists have stated that a pioneering population will face new obstacles in the journey and life on Mars. These hurdles are examined through a literature review focused on the feasibility of a successful colonization, human health in space, and the ethics of space colonization. Space sciences are highly affected by political tensions between technologically developed countries which will likely impact the sociopolitical structure and success of a long-term Martian colony. The pioneering population will also face dangers to their health from the isolation, microgravity, and radiation of space. Lastly, colonization of Mars will lead to the eventual environmental damage of the planet, which is both a scientific and ethical dilemma. The political, scientific, and ethical concerns that are currently unanswered outweigh arguments in support of Martian colonization. To protect the future pioneering population and the environmental health of Mars, these concerns must be mitigated by space agencies before developing the technology needed to send humans to colonize Mars.