Monday, November 28, 2011

The Red Rover

Last Saturday NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory rover, better known as Curiosity.  Although we have sent rovers to Mars before, this one will be the largest ever.  Launching anything is always a nerve-wrecking experience, but the most intense part of this mission will be landing on the surface of Mars.  About 2/3 of all missions to Mars have failed due to various technical reasons.

Mars has held a certain fascination for us.  It has a large canyon system that would dwarf the Grand Canyon on Earth.  Evidence now shows the planet probably had flowing water sometime in its past.  It also has dust storms that can spread over its entire surface.

Seeing planets like this makes us marvel at God's creation.  In the beginning, God created the universe(Gen. 1:1).  The stars and the heavens above declare the glory of God(Psa. 19:1).

Humans likely won't be going to Mars anything soon due to the money required among technical problems.  One is all the deadly radiation the planet gets.  Astronauts would also have to find a way to grow food and replenish water.  We also don't have a deep enough understanding of the planet and the long-term spaceflight that will be required.

Even if we are never able to travel to Mars like we can travel from New York to Los Angeles, we can take comfort we will have a new universe to ourselves that will be greater than this one(Rev. 21:1).  In the new universe none of the current problems we face in spaceflight will exist.   If the new universe includes Mars, what would New Mars be like?  Right now we can only imagine.

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