Humans Are Creators, Not Destroyers: Robert Zubrin

Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer, author, and advocate for human space exploration, particularly for the colonization of Mars. He is best known for his passionate promotion of Mars exploration and his contributions to space advocacy through his books and the Mars Society, which he founded in 1998.

Zubrin first gained widespread attention with his 1996 book The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must. In this book, he laid out detailed technical and economic arguments for how humanity could establish a permanent human presence on Mars with current technology. His proposed plan, known as "Mars Direct," focuses on sending astronauts directly to Mars and using in-situ resources (i.e., converting Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide into fuel) to reduce mission costs and complexity. He has argued that such a mission could be done affordably compared to other, more complex NASA proposals.

Zubrin's work often centers on the idea that space exploration is key to the survival and advancement of humanity. He believes that establishing colonies beyond Earth will not only safeguard human civilization in case of planetary catastrophe but also inspire technological progress and a spirit of exploration.

Beyond Mars, Zubrin has written on a variety of topics related to energy, politics, and space policy. His other notable books include Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization and Merchants of Despair, in which he critiques environmentalist positions that he argues are overly pessimistic and anti-human. He is also a critic of overly bureaucratic approaches to space exploration, advocating for more entrepreneurial and private-sector involvement.

----

Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values.

Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology.

Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern heterodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship.

---

Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream.

Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup

Or donate via PayPal: https://paypal.me/QUILLETTEPTYLTD?cou...

We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91