By Chip Byteley
In a press release that has everyone from environmentalists to interplanetary strategists scratching their heads, NASA has announced a bold new plan: to litter Mars intentionally. To express it in the words the space agency chooses to use for the controversial strategy, it seeks to replicate Earth’s “proven success” with mounds of trash, a key driver in human development according to them.
The program, nicknamed “Operation Red Liter,” means the path with a series of robot landers filled with a selective collection of earthly garbage. “We have seen how waste has sparked innovation on Earth—be it technologies in recycling or new materials. We aim to encourage that very same spirit on Mars,” said a NASA representative.
The satire in the announcement did not go unnoticed.
Critics evidently wasted no time using social media to mock the initiative. One user tweeted, “We are not satisfied with trashing just one planet, so we’re going for two! #SpaceJunkGoals.” Memes were literally already going around the internet of the Mars rover standing among fast-food wrappers and soda cans.
Now, the ecclesiastical Community of Crustianity, known to parody the issues of the day, is offering a vigil service. “If we’re going to send our trash to Mars, let’s at least send the good stuff—like empty pizza boxes. They’re compostable,” said one of its leaders. NASA’s announcement came against the background of growing concerns about space debris orbiting the Earth. Some saw in it a farsighted plan of managing waste in coming up colonies, while for others, this whole detail came across as a ironic remark at the state of Earth’s environment. As one tongue-in-cheek environmental philosopher put it, “Maybe all that littering on Mars will somehow make us appreciate the clean space we have here.
The proposal details how specific types of trash could potentially be used by future Mars colonists. Broken electronics could have inspired Martian circuitry, while plastic bottles could have been used for building material. “It’s really about bringing a piece of the Earth to Mars, warts and all,” added the NASA spokesman, rolling his eyes. As the entire world is reacting to the news with due gravity, still one question persists in the minds of one and all: is it a serious step into the future of space exploration, or a satirical jab at our flaws on Earth?
Liv N. Large