Leading the way to sustainable life on Mars
There is no
such thing as impossible and no endeavour too big. Through
spirit, imagination and origination – the universe is truly ours to explore
Mohammed Al Ahbabi
Through this mission we will be creating thousands of opportunities for the bright sparks of our nation and we will be positioning our country as a leading force in the advancement of humanity.
Recently, five teams and eight young scientists were chosen as finalists in the inaugural Genes in Space competition here in the UAE. Alia Al Mansoori won the competition, which took place at the Global Space Congress. These students from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai were working to solve real issues we encounter in space. Alias winning experiment aims to study how exposure to space affects the health of live organisms at the cellular level. Students like her will one day be making groundbreaking discoveries that will enable humans to explore farther than ever before.
Its an exciting time in the space industry as we build the worlds largest most powerful rocket to take us to deep space (called the Space Launch System), test new spaceships (such as the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle) and develop technologies for keeping humans healthy in deep space.
The Space Launch System features a unique combination of mature systems and advanced technologies and is capable of carrying more than twice the payload of any other launch vehicle into deep space.
Getting humans to Mars and back safely will be a marathon, not a sprint, which is why we advocate for a measurable, phased approach to going to Mars. Boeing, the company I work for, calls this a path to Mars.
A path to Mars is a scenario that reflects a four-step evolution of critical capabilities from the International Space Station to missions in the lunar vicinity in preparation for the journey of humans to Mars.
Phase zero is already underway. The International Space Station has sustained humans in low Earth orbit for 16 years, producing critical science and technology that will enable humans to live in deep space as well as providing benefits to humanity on Earth.
The space station lays the groundwork for global partnerships that will help us transition to working together on future platforms.
Phase one includes extending our reach beyond low-Earth orbit to cislunar space, the area around the Moon, as we begin cislunar operations and what we call proving ground missions.
In cislunar space well prove the technologies weve been using and developing in low-Earth orbit. The journey to Mars will be a three-year round trip, so its critical that we prove our systems in deep space before taking the ultimate leap.
Boeing is already working on a full-scale prototype cislunar habitat demonstrator as part of Nasas Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships 2 programme. The crew would spend this time in cislunar space evaluating habitability, logistics, operational procedures and vehicle systems in an environment similar to what will be experienced on the journey to Mars.
Building a habitat in cislunar space will offer opportunities for international partnerships and for lunar exploration and collaborative research. The habitat could also serve as a staging ground for governments and private companies that are interested in activities around or on the Moon that range from science to exploration to business and other exploration objectives.
The sky has never been the limit. By announcing that we will build a mini city on Mars by 2117, we are reaffirming the idea that any dream can and will be achieved.
There is no such thing as impossible and no endeavour too big. Through spirit, imagination and origination the universe is truly ours to explore.
Ultimately, we are doing something today that our future generations will benefit from. We are pushing the boundaries beyond the realms of what we thought could be done for this is the only way we can grow. We will lead the way to a life on Mars. And building the city is not the full purpose.The path itself will be ground-breaking as the scientific investigation and technological creation that it will bring will be revolutionary. This is not as much about Mars itself as it is about exploration, knowledge and the betterment of mankind.This life-changing 100-year mission will bring with it new concepts and ideas around transport, energy and nutrition.
It will push our visionaries, scientists and researchers to think of better ways to save time, be more efficient, conserve energy and keep humans alive and healthy.Studying the Martian atmosphere and learning why and how the dry surface formed will be crucial.
This insight will teach us how to protect our planet from the same type of change and help to safeguard Earth.This is a key element of the Mars Hope Probe 2021 project and will serve as the opening chapter of a 100-year space expedition.This mission will unite us. We will leverage our deep-rooted Arabic and Islamic heritage and pioneering knowledge of astronomy to guide our new generation of stars to pave the way.They will then collaborate with the worlds finest space experts and put together their sharpest ideas on how to make this mission a success.This mission will inspire us. We are embedding a culture and movement within our communities, research universities and schools that will say to all our people together we can dream and accomplish.Within the space of only a few years, we have managed to build a solid foundation and infrastructure for our space sector to excel.We have formed international partnerships with the global space leaders and welcomed them to our home in Abu Dhabi.
Through focusing on how we can learn more about leaving Earth we are learning more about our planet and working closely with the people on it.We are setting bars higher than they have ever been set and we are saying to our youth to go ahead and reach them. Our leadership have kept their eyes on what lies ahead and have planned for the future.
Through this mission we will be creating thousands of opportunities for the bright sparks of our nation and we will be positioning our country as a leading force in the advancement of humanity.
The writer is director general of theUAE Space Agency
