What is the Mars society?
The Mars Society is a non-profit organization with members
in over 30 countries, and is dedicated to the colonization of Mars.
Simply put, the human race is about to take the great leap out of our home planet, into space.
SF has told stories about this for decades, and now is when
it is actually happening. Sooner or later we'll have to expand into space. A climbing global
population combined with ever-depleting resources on Earth will soon make both Mars
and the asteroid belt essential
for the continued survival of the human race.
The Mars society proposes an efficient and cost effective plan to land a team of 4
humans on Mars, as a first step to the gradual
colonization of the red planet. Oxygen, water, and fuel are created on Mars by converting the thin
Martian atmosphere using the Sabatier process.
The total mission cost has been calculated to be around US$ 20 000 000 000.
Read the founding declaration
of the Mars society and sign the Mars petition.
What has this got to do with me?
So we're going to colonize Mars, big deal! The Americans were bound to do it at some point anyway?
South Africa has enough problems. We don't need to waste out time on space exploration.
The opening up of space to humanity is a task unlike any other we have ever undertaken. It will take
an incredible amount of effort to just land a human on Mars, but the returns of a sustained
colonization effort would be tremendous over the long-term. The initial landing is likely to create a
new Martian industry over night. Soon Mars will open up to human colonization. It will be a testament
to humanity itself, not just one part of it.
What has this got to do with South Africa?
We are part of the human race. If we South Africans do not take part in what would be a momentous
event we will be left behind while other countries have prosperous space industries and expertise.
200 years from now people will look down on Earth from Mars and say: "That is where it began: Terra,
CE 1998!". There will be humans on Mars, Earth, and perhaps
throughout the solar system.
The MsSA needs to make a pro-active and sustained
contribution to the larger human effort to colonize Mars. To do this we need people, and the people
shall decide the purpose of the MsSA; but first
we need people. We have the intelligence, expertise and entrepreneurs sitting in our universities,
technikons and industries.
Although we are currently based in Gauteng, we are looking to expand our infrastructure countrywide,
using the Internet. We are looking into approaching universities and technikons for their input, as
well as specifically targeted industries for assistance and contributions.
If you are interested in getting involved, or just sharing your input with us, please contact
Stefan Schmikal.