In this years Omnibus bill that funds NASA, there is specific language that prohibits "any research, development or demonstration activities related exclusively to the human exploration of Mars." This language, while seemingly benign and innocent, could have a chilling effect on innovation, creativity and science at NASA.
When I worked at Johnson Space Center in the late 1990's, there was a similar ban on all things human Mars related. Anyone with a small research project or grant now had to hide any Mars connections. Exciting, innovative, research that young engineers were excited to work on got canceled.
The anti-human Mars exploration language is impractical. I am perfectly clear that we are not likely to be sending humans to Mars in the next 20 years. But this is about having basic science and engineering advance and making Mars taboo does not, as John F. Kennedy put it, "serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills." What would be possible if the greatest minds of NASA were asked to innovate? If our best and brightest were encouraged to swing out and push the boundaries of what is possible?
It is like Google's 20% policy. Google engineers are encouraged to spend 20% of their time innovating, creating and working on problems, project, ideas that inspire them. Why? Because when people are working on what inspires them, they can often come up with great ideas and push them harder and further.
So if a young scientist is working on the basic science of biological adaptation to 1/3 Earth's gravity, or how to deal with the dust problems on Mars that are distinct from the dust challenges of the moon, or the propulsion and aerobraking systems you would need to go to Mars, and they manage to carve out a small grant to do so -- let them.
These are such long lead items and such low dollar amounts that it is appropriate to allow young scientists and engineers to work on it. If we don't, when humanity does get to the point where we can responsibly mount a mission to the our neighboring planet -- we won't have the minds needed to do it.
Image: NASA
