Thread by @PercyRover

After big events like my Pu238-powered self landing on Mars, there are usually critics.

I saw a hashtag arguing that we should spend money on other social programs instead of NASA.

Funny thing is I sort of agree. But before JPL reboots me let me explain...

*VROOM VROOM* THREAD

This is nothing new. This conversation dates back to when Gil Scott-Heron wrote "Whitey on the Moon," while a NASA workforce of predominantly white men were sending other white men to the Sea of Tranquility while Black and minority communities were marginalized.

There are plenty of advancements from the space program that benefited society, but at the time did that REALLY make a difference when you're being evicted from your home? Or if you can't afford to feed your children?

ESPECIALLY when the NASA photoshoots looked like this:

There's no changing the past. The only people who ever set foot on the moon were white men.

We failed to make the face of space travel a representative one. We made it a pissing match between two nuclear superpowers, and are dealing with the recourse of those decisions today.

My point is that the answer is not to divert funds from NASA, but to diversify the face of the institution. To set a new tone that's sans militaristic BS like Space Force.

We need to make sure the sequel to "Whitey on the Moon," isn't "Whitey on Mars," but "EVERYONE on Mars."

I was in awe of the diversity in the JPL #Mars2020 Mission Control room. It makes me hopeful that we're moving in the right direction.

In the meantime, we have time to really think about what our future in space will look like, and that's a decision we ALL should make together.

Pardon my hot takes this sol, mixing Mars rocks into my cafetera makes for some very spicy cafecito ☕️