The stars can wait but planet Earth cannot, it needs us now

Talking about becoming a "multi-planet species" sounds exciting, but it feels more like a billionaire's fantasy than a serious plan for everyone

- NISHANT SAHDEV

Almost every week, we hear big news about space. NASA is planning to build a base on the Moon. Elon Musk keeps saying people will soon live on Mars. And India is getting ready to send humans to space with the Gaganyaan mission. The dream feels real: humans living on Mars, building homes on the Moon, mining asteroids. A brand-new chapter for mankind.

But before asking if we can do it, the bigger question is: do we really need to?

The idea of leaving Earth comes from one belief—that maybe our planet is too damaged, and it will be easier to start again on another world. But the truth is, space is not a safe place. When astronaut Subhanshu Shukla came back this year. his research showed how badly space affects the human body. The heart becomes weaker, the brain and nerves change, and the immune system slows down. Other astronauts have shown stress in their cells and needed months to recover after just a few days in orbit. Now think about Mars. It is freezing cold, with poisonous soil and no breathable air. Radiation storms there are much stronger than what we face on Earth. NASA

says even one mission to Mars could double an astronaut's lifetime risk of cancer. And survival would depend completely on machines-oxygen pumps, sealed domes, and protective suits. If just one thing fails, it's over. That is not a second home. That is a dangerous gamble.