2314, Duncan Drive, Apt. #12;
Fairborn,
OH 45324
Dr. Robert Zubrin
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, California 91109
March 5, 1997
Dear Sir:
Hi, first, let me introduce myself. My name is Azlan Yusop and I am
studying at Wright State University, Dayton OH. I am majoring in computer
science. A thousand apologies if this letter disturbs you in anyway. I
was thinking that maybe you can spare a few minutes of your time to go
through this letter.
I had read your article about the mission to Mars in the Newsweek magazine
dated September 23 of year 1996. I must say that I found that the mission
is not practical and not worth it. I know that the finding of the remains
in the meteorite is what make the mission more compelling, but what if
there is nothing there. Surely we will waste lots of money for nothing.
We cannot do something just by referring to minor evidence like the finding
of the remains of a single cell Martians microbes. Unless if we found a
really intelligent life form from Mars.
There are also a lot of problems for the mission if we carry on with
it. Firstly. I have to say that the cost of sponsoring a mission there
is tremendously high. According to Michael Collins in his article in National
Geographic, he said that the cost for initial phase will be 1 billion dollar,
for a return sample 5 billion dollars and for a 4 manned expedition the
cost will rise from 80 to 100 billion dollars for a 30 days mission. Michael
Collins is a Trustee of the National Geographic Society. Just imagine what
can we do for thousands of people, instead of just 4 people, with that
kind of money. We can use it to help the needy and help develop our own
country. At least by doing so we know where our (the tax payer) moneys
go.
We also have to build bigger ships and can stand a tremendous stress
for the long journey. A bigger ship will mean bigger funding and a lot
of money have to be invested to build such ships.
Today we have not reach Mars yet, but we have lost lots of money when
the Mars Observer's mission tumble back to earth several years back. This
observer was due to Mars, but after 60 days of orbiting, the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) lost contact with the spacecraft. This mission alone cost
NASA nearly 1 billion dollars and all of the money gone up in smoke when
the craft failed to communicate back to earth station. This accident also
had disturbed other scientific research that might benefits the whole world
because of budget constraints. Some might say that by working together
(an international funding), we can overcome the high cost of the mission.
By doing so, it might not affect us in USA but it will surely hurt the
economy of the other side. For example if we want to make a cooperation
with China, which all of us know that their economic is not very stable,
this cooperation will hurt them.
The biggest problem of all is the human factor for the mission. I would
like to review is the condition of the astronauts that will be going to
Mars. We also have to make sure that they stay healthy all the way to Mars,
which will take almost a year for one way trip. To take such trip, the
astronauts have to be in the very best of health, which they can achieve
here on earth, but maintaining that health, there should be a problem.
The problem will be the zero gravity. There are several things that have
to be considered before we send astronauts there. They must be able to
withstand a long period of weightlessness, which is impossible for the
astronauts. According to Sharon Begley in her article in Newsweek, a prolonged
weightlessness on the way can cause cardiovascular and muscular deterioration.
A E Smith stated in his book entitles Mars: The Next Step, when 4 astronauts
from Russia return to earth after a 6-month mission in space station Mir
3 of them died because of a cardiovascular problem. So we can see that
even for 6 months, their body cannot stand it. In other event, a Russian
astronaut also dies because of a brain tumor which he did not has when
he started the mission to space.
After being in orbit for 1 year, a cosmonaut-researcher, Anatoli Levchenko
died because of a brain tumor. Mr A E Smith said in his book that the Russian
authority believes that the tumor was cause by the radiation that penetrates
the space ship. Just imagine, while still in orbit astronauts can get a
radiation exposure so what is the possibility that this event might occur
in the Mars mission that will jeopardize the life of our astronauts. By
the time they reach Mars, all of them might end up dead because of a brain
tumor or a cancer. Scientists suggested that by using of a layer of hard
water between the spacecraft body will help reduced the possibility of
radiation exposure, but what good will that make, it just will slow the
process not stopping it. By carrying out this theory, again we will waste
a lot of money.
A E Smith also said that the radiation exposure was imminent to the
Mars-bound crew when they pass through the Van Allen's radiation belts
that circle the earth
The lost of calcium from bones also become another horrible problem
to the astronauts. Calcium is a very important vitamin in our bones. When
astronauts were left in a zero gravity for a long time, their bones will
be weakened because there is no gravity to support the body weight. Scientists
said that a regular exercise on the spaceship will help make the bones
strong but according to A E Smith in his book, 4 hours of exercise would
be optimum on earth but not in the spaceship. They need more than 4 hours
of exercises and a gravity in order to make the bone strong.
It is important for the explorer to Mars to have strong bones in order
to do explore the surface, but with weak bone, they surely cannot perform
their duties and will result in the lost billions of dollars.
Let just assume that the astronauts made it to the Mars surface. Surviving
on the surface is also a big problem to the astronauts. The Mars atmosphere
is filled with a very dangerous and hazardous carbon dioxide gas. The surface
also experiences fierce dust storms. There is no water or food on the surface
so the astronauts will have a really big problem settling there. Scientists
said that they could send a lander on the surface to provide the astronauts
with food but what if the astronauts did not find the lander? . They will
die of hunger. We do not know what to expect down there and so does the
astronauts.
Lastly, before I end this letter, I would like to say again that the
mission to Mars is not practical to both economically and human kind. Economically,
it is a waste of money and there is another way to waste money for the
benefits of other people rather than wasting it for some bogus mission.
For human kind, are we willing to let sacrifice the life on our astronauts
for the mission that we do not either it is safe or not. There are lots
of problems and consequences that have to be considered before preceding
with the mission. We have a prosperous world here we do not need another
"earth" to take care off. We have to be satisfied with what we
have. There is no need to waste our money on something that we are not
sure of the outcomes. Just imagine what we can do with all the money and
resources allocated for the mission.
I think that end my letter it has been fun writing to you and I hope
that you consider all the argument that I made about the mission to Mars
and again thanks for your time.
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Azlan Yusop