Red planet returns

Eight years from now, a US rocket will roar into the skies, bound for Mars. On board will be two rover vehicles: one from the ESA, carrying instruments that will look for signs of past or present life; the other from NASA, which will collect samples that will, a few years later, be sent back to Earth. And it’s certain that, down on Earth, cynics will be saying that we’re firing pound notes into space.

This cynicism has been around for as long as space exploration itself. Satisfying the curiosity of scientists is fine, say the critics. But why not fund technology development on Earth? Why not find a cure for cancer, or a way to solve the energy crisis? For the scientists and engineers who work in planetary exploration, this is meaningless. One set of research goals doesn’t preclude the other, they argue. Without space research, vital technologies wouldn’t be developed as fast. In fact, they might not be developed at all.