MARS TOO FAR, MOON SO NEAR

When we talk about going to space, people often imagine traveling to Mars, even building outposts there. However, because of the necessity of Earthlight, the truth about Mars is that it's simply too far from Earth. ("Marslight" is not the same for us; it is not a compatible power source.)

Traveling to Mars takes about nine months. One way.

Once a spacecraft arrived, it would take another eighteen to twenty-four months for orbital mechanics to line up again (the Earth and Mars have different orbits around the sun and move at very different speeds; a single Mars year is approximately 1.9 Earth years), followed by another eight months to get back.

In other words, a trip to Mars and back, in a tiny spaceship with other people, would take two to three years. Very few people could endure that and maintain a healthy mindset.

And here is the hardest part: such a journey means astronauts would be completely cut off from the life-giving Earth and the special recharge we human beings get from Earthlight. Yes, they would have artificial light to compensate. But artificial light is not equal to Earthlight. Being removed from it entirely would soon have a harmful effect on astronauts' moods and mindsets. (To be honest, I shudder to imagine it!)

Trapped on a spaceship for years, no way out, in a small and enclosed space, along with one to three other people, breathing recycled air, drinking recycled water, and without any Earthlight. That is currently what it would be like to travel to Mars.

In stark contrast, consider the Moon.

The Moon is just a three-day journey from Earth. Three days back, with no wait times. Best of all, and essential for human astronauts, the Earth and its Earthlight are in sight the entire time. On the Moon, we get the full "charge" of seeing our home and basking in its life-giving glow.

Astronauts watching the Earth rise over the horizon have named the experience "Earthrise," and if the pictures and videos tell us anything, Earthrise is a glorious experience!

Imagine a sphere extending just past the distance of the Moon from Earth. At almost any point within it, the Earth is there to see and to bask in. For astronauts, that sight is confidence-building and affirming. It says: I am close to home. I am okay.