Another Space to Call Home

When I think about the possibility of sending a human expedition to Mars, I get excited. It will be the most ambitious of all Mars missions to date. In the 1960s, we sent spacecraft on flyby missions to prove we could get near Mars. In the 1970s, we landed Viking I and II on Mars to validate our navigation skills. We roamed the martian terrain vicariously through a series of rovers, starting with Sojourner in the late 1990s, followed by Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity in the 2000s. In addition to the rover Perseverance in 2020, we also sent a drone, Ingenuity, to demonstrate maneuverability through the martian atmosphere. Next in the queue are the sample and return missions, the first to prove we can come back to our home planet.

Our home planet.

What is it about our home planet that makes us dream of finding another one, or two, or three? Is there another place where trees grow, rivers flow, and birds sing? Are there sandy beaches, grassy meadows, and ice-capped mountains defining the landscape? Perhaps there are other living creatures, much like us, who ponder and contemplate their origin and purpose. Yet, despite our discoveries, analyses, and exploration missions, we remain unsatisfied with Earth's uniqueness.

Perhaps Isaiah's message, reminding us of God's intentionality, was intended to remind us why the Creator should be the focus of our endeavors. While looking for another space to call home, we have only our own to serve as a point of reference regarding habitability. However, I remain excited about the possibilities of going to another planet. If only to declare how great our God is for the wonderful provisions here on Earth.

For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. - Isaiah 45:18 (ESV)