To Mars and Back?

 We live near a star surrounded by eight planets. Our home is the third planet from the Sun, our home star. When we first studied our solar system, we may have imagined human travel to one or more of the other planets as we enjoyed several of Jules Verne’s space travel science fiction novels. The Artemis program has generated enthusiasm for a return to Earth’s Moon for the first time in over a half century. Elon Musk has for his proposal to establish a colony of humans on Planet Mars, perhaps within a decade.  

Are both the Moon and Mars within reach of the human race? Our space scientists utilized the technology available to them over a half century ago to reach the Moon and safely return the astronauts to their home planet. On the contrary, Mars, the Red Planet, is 200 times more distant from Earth than the Moon. It is unrealistic to believe human travel to Mars and back is feasible in the near future.

Planet Earth is the only planet of the Solar system located comfortably within the habitable zone. The most important factor of habitability relates to the adequate presence of water in all three phases—solid, liquid, and vapor. Planet Mars is not located comfortably within a habitable zone. Mars apparently possesses no liquid water necessary for life to exist. There is some evidence that Mars was a water world similar to Earth millions of years ago. But now it is mostly a waterless world because its water has boiled away in the thin atmosphere—less than1% of atmospheric pressure present on Planet Earth. It has virtually no oxygen. The thin atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide.

Prospective Mars travelers would experience exceedingly low temperatures, almost no atmospheric pressure, and deadly cosmic radiation without the magnetic shield present on Earth. Mars’ gravity is only 38% of Earth’s gravity. Mars sunlight possesses only 43% of the light intensity on our home planet. Green plants could not thrive in the Martian soil. In short, human travelers would need to transport many elements of our earth environment in the space vehicles which would ferry humans to the Red Planet. The time frames required to travel from Earth to Mars and subsequently return to Earth make Mars colonization virtually impossible. 

When Elon Musk founded his ambitious Space-X program in 2002, he had a vision of colonizing Mars. Recently, Musk has turned away from that goal and refocused his attention to establishing a human colony on Earth’s Moon. He shocked many observers with his pivot: a Moon colony instead of a Mars colony. Musk has become incredibly wealthy and famous with the Space-X program’s achievements and his oft-stated goal to colonize Mars.

Does Holy Scripture deal with humanity’s colonization of a distant planet or even our nearby lunar companion? Some people may believe the Bible provides an answer to our questions concerning space travel. Two passages in the Book of Psalms come to mind: “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands…” (Psalm 8:6 ESV) Does this verse signal space exploration? Another passage: “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.” (Psalm 115:16 ESV)  These two verses could be interpreted in different ways. We pray for wisdom as we read and interpret God’s word.   

         

Return to the Moon?

 Young people in the 1960s were enamored with space travel. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was organized as a government agency in 1958.  John F. Kennedy, US president from 1961-63, set a national goal of sending a man to the moon and returning him safely to Earth. 

In the 1960s NASA produced many films dealing with the trajectory of our nation’s space program. The films piqued the imaginations of our young students. Several times teachers in the school where I taught science wheeled a television set into our classroom to observe events as they occurred:  Alan B. Shepard’s sub-orbital flight (5/5/61) which proved man’s ability to withstand elevated g-forces, and John H. Glenn’s first orbital flight (2/20/62) demonstrating human ability to survive in the outer space gravity-free environment. We were in a race with the former Soviet Union to highlight our nation’s superiority in science. Many US students have maintained their interest in space since our astronauts reached the Moon during the Apollo moon explorations from 1969-1972. 

Students and adults alive at the time of the initial Moon visits, however, may have wondered why our country has not returned to the moon for over fifty years. Have our national priorities changed over the last half-century? Our populace has demanded more in terms of transportation, navigation, weather forecasting, entertainment, national security, and many others. Space age technology has strengthened our knowledge of these topics for the past half century.

In addition to our gains in science and technology, there is another dimension to our knowledge of outer space. Sadly, this dimension is not recognized by a majority of today’s scientists. We propose there is a theological dimension. This dimension is often mocked by scientists, who believe science and faith (theology) are unrelated categories of knowledge.

The theological dimension is a vital pillar supporting our Science/Faith blog. For reference, we link an early blog:  https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2010/04/theologys-scientific-support.html  There are many ways our blog has highlighted the relationship of science and faith. We link:  https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2014/12/overview-effect.html   When our astronauts journey to outer space and gaze back upon Planet Earth, many are impacted by the overview effect—a feeling of intense awe and wonder when they experience a vision of Earth from a completely different physical perspective. On December 24, 1968 Astronauts Anders, Lovell, and Borman were 234,000 miles from Earth, farther from our planet than any human had ever travelled. These three astronauts linked their scientific activities with a powerful faith-strengthening worship experience as they viewed Planet Earth from a great distance. While in orbit around our Moon the Apollo 8 astronauts each read a few verses from Genesis 1:1-10. I was transfixed as I listened to the broadcast of the event in real time!

Our world shows evidence of divine design wherever we look. Our society wrestles with differences in worldview as well as differences in national policy. Our political leaders believe in the benefits of space exploration.  But we must obey laws of motion, laws governing energy production, and adhere to many fundamental physical constants. Who authored those laws and constants? Did they appear randomly, or by accident? Do we believe in the incredible fine-tuned features of our universe?        Nations of the world must deal with an orderly, intelligently designed universe in their flights to outer space as well as in all their national endeavors. 

US space scientists are currently embarked on the Artemis Program. Artemis I was an uncrewed flight to the Moon and back. Artemis II supports a crewed Moon mission without landing on the lunar surface. Artemis III astronauts will land on the Moon’s south polar region before returning to Earth. Artemis IV crew members will install a space station called Lunar Gateway which supports both crewed and robotic lunar exploration, but not before 2028.

The current blog does not do justice to the desirability and complexity of our country’s space program. The Artemis program among many others, is an international symbol of human cooperation. Major players in the international drama are the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan (Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Canada (Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA).      

Let us prayerfully commit our national and international space scientists to our Creator for wisdom in their mission of discovery.    

 

  

  

Periodic Polar Vortexes

 Recently our national weather news has been filled with meteorological superlatives. We cannot say we weren’t forewarned about the unusual weather which descended upon the US in late January 2026. We have experienced an unusual dose of winter woes, ranging from snow, to sleet, to freezing rain, to wind. This plethora of weather events has brought with it miseries ranging from frozen water pipes, vehicle accidents, flight cancellations and power failures, not to mention human discomfort, injury, and even death. As of this writing citizen human deaths have risen to 34 and counting. 

The United States has endured the most protracted stretch of cold weather in several years. The public tunes in to media weather reports for an explanation. An important term has been introduced to our weather-aware public in the last several decades. It is called the POLAR VORTEX, a feature of the divinely created weather system operating on our planet for thousands of years.

Before discussing specific details of our recent weather woes, we cite several  scripture references from the Old Testament. The Book of Job possesses fascinating scientific insights concerning creation events, behavior of living things, and events from the world of nature, including weather phenomena. This OT book is filled with up to date commentary on scientific issues in a piece of divinely inspired literature composed about 3500 years ago.

Following are two insightful meteorological passages from the Book of Job. They both relate to winter blasts of extremely cold air. 

By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad water are frozen fast (Job 37:10-11 ESV).  From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen

(Job 38:29-30 ESV).

The destructive winter blasts of January 2026 and several thousand years ago were caused by manifestations of the polar vortex, described initially by scientists in 1853. We copy a paragraph from our 2/17/19 post dealing with Planet Earth’s two polar vortexes:

“There are two types of polar vortexes: tropospheric and stratospheric. Both vortexes consist of air circulating west to east, but differ in their size. Earth’s troposphere is the zone of Earth’s atmosphere where virtually all weather occurs. It hugs the Earth’s surface, ascending to various heights—highest at the equator (12 mi) but not as high at the poles (4 mi). Earth’s stratosphere rests atop the troposphere. Its temperature begins to rise as altitude increases. On occasion, various phenomena contribute to SSW (sudden stratospheric warming) at high latitudes around the poles. As a result the stratospheric polar vortex weakens, sending intensely cold air masses southward. The weaker the stratospheric polar vortex, the more likely we will receive a heavy dose of uncommon and intense cold. Truly intense stratospheric polar vortexes strike the US rarely, perhaps every few years.”

It is ironic that sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) triggers intense cooling at other locations on our planet! This mystery is studied by an army of weather scientists. In addition to the stratospheric polar vortex which was largely responsible for our recent intensely cold weather, other, more familiar weather phenomena made the event even more intense. These phenomena are called the polar jet streams. We might say that an additional polar vortex—the tropospheric polar vortex—locates the jet streams. These moving air streams locate wam/cold and dry/moist air masses and cause them to move. Our changeable yet beneficial weather systems owe their existence to jet streams. “Then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit”  (Leviticus 26:4 ESV).

Job 37-38 refers to other weather wonders such as snow, lightning, and thunder from the dialog between Elihu and God Himself. These verses highlight humanity’s lack of knowledge concerning meteorological wonders which sustain life on Planet Earth.

We sympathize with media meteorologists who attempt to explain not only pleasant, beneficial weather, but also the complexities of unpleasant events such as the tropospheric polar vortex. 

We close with a devotional passage from Rev. 4:11:

“Worthy are you our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (ESV)

   

  

  

Responding to Skeptics

 

Several years prior to our Science/Faith blog’s inception in 2007, your blog author emailed many secular scholars and columnists concerning the viability of our Christian faith and its inherent belief system. My family history supplied a strong affirmation of the truth of the Christian faith and respect for scientific truth. I have retained a large file of emails I wrote to scholars in the academic world and many of the responses they offered in return. The email exchanges served as inspiration for me. Many of the respondents remarked that they valued the dialog and were pleased their readers responded.

We advocate that Christians become pro-active in communicating our faith to fellow citizens, even those who do not operate on our theological wavelength. Hugh Ross, founder of the organization Reasons to Believe, encourages Christians to “Always be ready” to give a defense of our faith: The Apostle Peter counsels, “…But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; but do it with gentleness and respect…” (I Peter 3:15 ESV)

One of the columnists we cited in our opening paragraph was fond of making critical and controversial statements in his writing. I responded to him with my personal commentary, especially when the columnist attacked the Christian faith and Christian leaders. This was an opportunity to put into practice the exhortation of the Apostle Peter (I Peter 3:15). Recently I re-discovered a folder containing copies of the two-way correspondence with this columnist. The packet contained thirty-five letters between us. Our communication continued for three years. 

The columnist expressed bold doubts about a number of issues related to the Christian faith. He felt the Bible contained much “hearsay evidence” concerning the ministry of Jesus Christ and wondered why God’s Son did not produce an autobiography. He questioned how the truth of Christ’s mission is communicated to us in the 21st century. He doubted the inerrancy of Scripture—its factual information and its divine inspiration. He perceived the Bible as an all-too-human production.

My response was “When I was young I believed the Christian gospel…..As I got older I studied a range of apologetic sources on Christianity, along with a rather broad study of science topics…..The Christianity came first, the science knowledge later…..The objective science training I received helped me avoid the ‘company line’ that science and theology are separate realms.” The link between faith and science was established in my mind several years before we formally launched our Science/Faith blog in 2007.  

The Bible makes extraordinary claims concerning miracles. Such claims demand extraordinary evidence. The problem arises when someone insists that hearsay evidence concerning miracles is always unreliable. 

Doubts about the existence of God are difficult to refute. Ultimately, when skeptics insist on evidence of a particular kind we may not be able to offer the type of proof they demand. For example, God created all things (the heavens and the earth) in the beginning. But who created God, my friend queried?  Other questions he raised related to historic Christian colonialism, the Crusades, and other “holy wars” waged in the name of God. He also questioned my belief in divine creationism instead of evolution.

The exchange with the newspaper columnist was generally pleasant and civil. In retrospect, we were able to reinforce the belief that science and faith are allies, not enemies. As we defend this principle, we must do so with gentleness and respect.