Designing a new world

The Mars Blueprint Note #1: Designing a new world

The Mars Blueprint is equal parts thought experiment and social movement.

For the first time in human history, we have the technology and the social momentum to allow us to explore and possibly settle a new world.  There has never been this kind of fresh start opportunity for humanity – ever before – and the Mars Blueprint wants to make sure that our new world is born out of the best of humanity. 

The last “new world” was really only a new world to the Europeans, but even then, their experiences offer valuable lessons for us to learn from as we design the plan for Mars. We believe we can create the Blueprint for humanity’s future on another world through examining the lessons of success and failure of the past, adding a dash of imagination, a ton of hope and hard work, and applying the best of today’s tech and society.

Mars offers something for everyone. The best of our scientists, engineers, and other white-collar professions will be needed to get us there and expand our presence. Our tradesmen and women who know how to build the foundational elements we take for granted will be needed to build it and keep us there.  History shows that the first settlers in any frontier must be a mix of rugged, intelligent, independent, innovative and hard working. The most successful colonies in North America brought with them craftsmen, artisans, and other blue-collar experts who laid the foundation for the entire colony.  Mars will be no different.  Our best and brightest thinkers will get us there, but our technical masters, journeymen and rugged construction men and women will keep us there.  

Before you laugh… say this is impossible or ridiculous…  think about this:

• In 1950 humans walking on the Moon was impossible and ridiculous. The stuff of comic books and fantasy novels, but by 1971 the missions were so routine people quit watching and the networks dropped them from the program schedules.
• Before the International Space station was constructed in the late 90’s a continuous human presence in space was considered improbable at best but the ISS has had constant human presence in space since Oct. 31, 2000 when the first crew arrived and Astronaut Scott Kelly even spent a year in space (340 days) between 2015 and 2016.
• Before SpaceX landed their first Falcon 9 successfully in 2015, recovering a rocket that big was considered impossible. Today, it is so routine that multiple launches and landings every month with no media coverage outside of industry publications.

Just think of the possibilities…  

On Earth we argue about the evils of capitalism, socialism, communism etc., but on Mars, the most capital intensive expedition in human history, will only survive if every man and woman there successfully builds a commune that shares everything… from the air they breath to the buildings they live in, everything that exists or is consumed is made by someone there.  Can there be a more extreme example of our human political theories colliding?

On Earth we have achieved a level of technology that makes most things disposable and diminishes the ability for the people that are good at fixing thing to thrive. On Mars, everything there must be built from scratch with only the materials and people that made the 100+ million mile (225 million Km) journey.  The advanced tech of our world will get us there, but the MacGyver’s among us will keep us there. Can there be a better application of all human talents?

Are you our generation’s Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Smith, or Roald Amundsen?  Are you a political science whiz who loves the thought of designing a political theory that combines the best of humanity’s attempts into a new political theory? Are you an engineer that is fascinated by the possibilities of building where no one has elver built before and pioneering the techniques? Are you someone who can build something out of nothing with your own two hands and just wants to be a part of something that really matters?

The Mars Blueprint is for all of you… Our social experiment begins now.  Join us in the movement!