Why do I want to go to Mars?

Why would anyone with the spirit of adventure and the desire to experience some thing new, not want to go?

OK, I know it is not just this... If you already have a multi-billion dollar, multi-national business empire of your own, here on earth, then it is probably understandable in case you choose not to go.

But what about me?

No, I do not have any business empire on Earth... (yet...) :P

But importantly, I have been excited by space travel and the exploration of this universe since childhood...  I guess it all started in primary or elementary school, when I may have been just around 6 or 7 years old. My friend had shown me his drawing of a super-helicopter or some flying machine like that which, according to him, was awesome and unbeatable. As a challenge, I started designing and drawing my own spaceship that would be even more cool and fantastic. It could travel faster than the speed of light! (Yeah, at that young age, I had only managed to grasp the fact that light travels amazingly fast, and did not know anything about Einstein's Theory of Relativity that states nothing can travel faster than light. Please excuse me for that.. :P) Also, there were these documentaries on space that I watched on TV channels like Discovery Channel, National Geographic, etc. Since then, space has always excited my imagination.

Anything to do with space, and it would catch my attention. Academically, too, I have been interested in fields like astronomy, astrophysics and aerospace engineering. I would have loved to have a double major in physics (including astronomy) and aerospace engineering for my bachelor's degree, but the system of double majors has not properly arrived in the Indian higher education system yet. And aerospace engineering is offered in very few Indian engineering colleges: the good ones being mostly the four Indian Institutes of Technology that offer it, which are incredibly difficult to get into. (But hey, I tried... And I will try again, for post-graduate admissions.) Anyway, I took what seemed to me as the next-best option: a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering (in the University of Mumbai), after which I could go for aerospace engineering in my master's degree or Ph.D.

So, I am passionate about space exploration. In childhood, I had dreams of becoming an astronaut... (Specifically, a NASA astronaut, till I realized that NASA is a U.S. government agency, and it is necessary to be a U.S. citizen in order become an astronaut there.)

But this is a one-way, non-returning mission!!

Yes, yes, it means never returning to earth, never meeting my family or friends again, never being able to see the places of special memories, etc., etc.

But look at the brighter side... Being one of possibly the first few humans on Mars... Being one of the founding fathers and mothers of a new civilization on another planet... Establishing a whole new world, which is like a new opportunity to build a world free of problems plaguing the present world we live in... And, of course, being remembered throughout history for all this...

I do not want my life to be wasted... I want to avoid mediocrity... The mere thought of not utilizing my full potential, not giving my best, and having regret in old age that I did not do anything significant that I could do, gives me shudders. Just before I die, if someone asks me, "What has been your contribution to the world?", then I should have some credible answer. I want to make a significant contribution to the world... And I mean contribution... Giving something back, rather than only taking (especially taking more than one deserves, like those dumb celebrities rolling in riches, just for being good-looking...) Two important questions that we all must consider are:

• What have you taken from this world?
• What have you given back to this world?

Comparing their answers should give us some insight about ourselves.

Of course, being recognized and remembered for my contributions would definitely be a good thing...

And this could be one of the biggest opportunities... An opportunity to make a significant contribution to the growth of human civilization beyond Earth... And, it is in the field of space travel and exploration of another planet, something that I am passionate about.