When you heard that Leonardo DiCaprio had already booked himself a ticket to Mars thanks to Tesla god Elon Musk, chances are you were immediately consumed with a raging jealousy that can only be quelled with an announcement like this: President Barack Obama telling the nation we're partnering with private firms to send multiple humans to the Red Planet by the 2030s.
Obama casually revealed this promise in a fresh op-ed for CNN, recalling his "earliest memories" of the magic of space travel as a child and his intention on regaining that glory in the years ahead. "We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America's story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time," Obama said Tuesday. "Getting to Mars will require continued cooperation between government and private innovators, and we're already well on our way."
The next step, Obama added, is promptly getting to work with commercial partners to start developing sustainable habitats for the brave astronauts tasked with embarking on these long-duration space missions. "Someday, I hope to hoist my own grandchildren onto my shoulders," Obama said. "We'll still look to the stars in wonder, as humans have since the beginning of time. But instead of eagerly awaiting the return of our intrepid explorers, we'll know that because of the choices we make now, they've gone to space not just to visit, but to stay—and in doing so, to make our lives better here on Earth."
As a living, breathing human, it is my moral obligation to now include this GIF:
Peep Obama's full Mars-hyping CNN op-ed here.
