With the completion of the space elevator, humanity had begun the large-scale exploration of the other planets in the Solar System. Manned spacecraft landings on Mars and the moons of Jupiter had not caused much of a stir because people knew that the purpose of these expeditions was much clearer and more practical than in the past: They were purely

Aujourd’hui, de nouvelles frontières nous appellent – la Lune, Mars et au-delà. L’Homme continuera toujours d’explorer, non par nécessité pour sa survie, mais parce qu’il est habité par ce besoin de comprendre quelle est sa place dans l’Univers.