Letters to the Editor: 'But there's a pandemic' is a small-minded criticism of Mars exploration

Los Angeles Times Opinion
·1 min read
An illustration of NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars
An illustration of NASA's Perseverance rover, which is currently on its way to Mars, on the surface of the planet. (NASA)

To the editor: The letter by a reader who was "disheartened" by an op-ed article about the value of missions to Mars missed the point being made in it about the knowledge, hope, even delight such events can give us.

I look to the endeavors of science for relief from the bombardment of narcissistic outrages on social media and conspiracy-mongering of a grotesquely failed president.

On a planet being consumed by scarcity-based power intrigues, the profound comprehension of a more boundless reality — which is clearly visible in the coverage of the scientists, technicians and NASA astronauts engaged in exploration — can prompt a calming sense of hope through a shift in perception about what really matters and why.

David Pabian, Los Angeles