I think we need to move to the moons of Mars and learn how to control robots that are on the surface. It's not the impatient way of getting there, but Mars has been there a long time.
Buzz AldrinRead
I'm convinced that sending people to Mars is so expensive that if you go once and bring the people back and then go again and bring the people back, we're eventually going to run out of money. But what if we send people the first time and they don't come back? What if they stay there?
Interpretation
What this quote means
Exploring Mars poses financial risks, but permanent settlement could redefine priorities.
Buzz Aldrin highlights the financial burden of sending missions to Mars and imagines a scenario where instead of repeatedly sending astronauts back and forth, we consider a one-way mission. This perspective emphasizes the potential for permanent human settlement on Mars, which could drastically change our approach to space exploration and resource allocation.
Themes
MarsExplorationSettlementSpaceFutureColonization
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the future of space exploration, one could cite this quote to provoke thought about humanity's next steps.
More from Buzz Aldrin
All quotes →America can take man to the moon, and America can take men to Mars - and beyond.
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A hybrid human-robot mission to investigate an asteroid affords a realistic opportunity to demonstrate new technological capabilities for future deep-space travel and to test spacecraft for long-duration spaceflight.
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Landing in the ocean and waiting for the Navy to come alongside and haul you out of the drink is what space capsules require. And after the capsule is recovered, it would take weeks for the ship to return to port.
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The biggest benefit of Apollo was the inspiration it gave to a growing generation to get into science and aerospace.
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Unfortunately, kids are led to believe things are easier to achieve than they really are.
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