NASA Apologizes For Jupiter Colonization Message
Have you ever looked up at the stars and dreamed of visiting the planets in our Solar System? Well, the typically inspiring NASA posted an awfully uninspiring message on X saying that you’ll probably never make it to Jupiter. The post was meant to encourage people to submit their names to be put in the Europa Clipper spacecraft that is traveling to the gas giant’s moon Europa, but the social media backlash to the post was swift.
NASA Crushes Hopes And Dreams
Multiple people took to X (formerly Twitter) to take NASA to task for crushing people’s potential Jupiter-based dreams. People pointed out that the space agency could have worded the post differently, and some people pointed out that there are likely people living today who may be in a craft that flies by the gas giant or lands on one of its moons. NASA was quick to course correct its statement, making another post to apologize and reassure followers that they want to inspire people and to “never stop dreaming!”
NASA’s Apology
Overall, this was a bit of a humorous faux pas by NASA rather than a full-blown controversy. In fact, the space agency wasn’t necessarily being overly negative, considering it would be impossible to land on Jupiter anyway. The gas giant is primarily made of swirling gasses and liquids, meaning there isn’t a solid surface that would allow humans to properly “visit” the massive planet. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for humans to fly near the planets in a spacecraft or land on Europa or one of the other planet’s moons.
NASA was also probably being realistic about the chances of many of their followers being able to make the trip to Jupiter. For one, humanity has actually never even traveled to another planet and set foot on one. Jupiter isn’t high on the list right now, as there isn’t much use for the planet as a foothold for humanity’s spacefaring adventures.
Mars Is More Feasible
However, there’s a much greater chance that one of NASA’s followers could eventually set foot on Mars in the future. The space agency has ambitious plans for landing on the red planet, which is closer to Earth than Jupiter and which could theoretically serve as a future space station for humans. It’s possible that Mars could even host human life in the future if we’re able to build on the planet’s surface, making it much more enticing as a target for NASA.
Don’t Rule Out A Trip To Jupiter Just Yet
Still, NASA is always dedicated to furthering humanity’s understanding and reaching into the stars, so it would be silly to say there’s no chance that Jupiter wouldn’t be a target for a human-manned spacecraft in the future. It may be far off, but that’s the whole point of dreaming of going to another planet. If enough people dream about it and want to get us there, it’s sure to happen at some point in humanity’s future.
The Future Of Space Travel
In the meantime, people are just going to have to accept NASA’s apology and probably come to terms with the fact that it is pretty unlikely that many of the space agency’s followers will ever visit Jupiter. With that being said, there are plenty of private companies that are hoping to make space tourism a viable experience in the near future. Maybe buying a ticket to Jupiter may happen sometime down the line.
