Colonizing Mars Should be NASA's goal.
 
In the past few years, with the rush to balance the budget, many different
programs have face the congressional knife.  One such program was the space
program, due in part to the fact that congressional leadership asked a reasonable question, "What have they done for me lately?"

There was and is a more appropriate question, however, What can they do
for me now?  Among NASA scientists and engineers, the aerospace industry, and the American people themselves, the resounding answer is, Go to Mars.

Putting men and women on Mars is not a cheap proposition.  It would cost
around one-tenth of NASA's current yearly budget.  NASA's current budget
comprises less than 1 percent of the national budget.The total cost of putting men on Mars would be approximately $10 billion to $15 billion dollars over 10 years.
   
A manned Mars mission, costing a mere fraction of NASA's yearly budget,
would provide infinitesimal dividends.  For one, civilization's greatest computer, the brain, could perform the Mars Pathfinder mission in the minutes it takes to walk around the landing site, providing insight in to the birth of our universe. Secondly, the children of our country and the world would be invigorated by the nobility of intellectual pursuit as were future engineers and scientists during the Apollo missions.  Third, Mars provides a haven, having all the resources available on our home planet, not only providing a new home for civilization in the far future, but also economic gains for our country's citizens and businesses in the near future.

GAVIN WHITTLE
West Chester