History will remember the inhabitants of this century as the people who went from Kitty Hawk to the moon in 66 years, only to languish for the next 30 in low Earth orbit. At the core of the risk-free society is a self-indulgent failure of nerve.

Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. I am the first man to piss his pants on the moon.

Mars is there, waiting to be reached.

For the future, primarily, we must educate people in science, engineering, technology and math.

We feel that this stands as a symbol of the insatiable curiosity of all mankind to explore the unknown.

Mars has been flown by, orbited, smacked into, radar examined, and rocketed onto, as well as bounced upon, rolled over, shoveled, drilled into, baked and even blasted. Still to come: Mars being stepped on.

Pascal Lee is a true pioneer of Mars exploration.