Mars Attacks Our Imagination

There’s always been something downright otherworldly about space exploration. It’s almost a rite of passage for Americans to lie down on the grass at night, look up into the star-filled sky and wonder ... what if?

Which is probably exactly why even in the midst of an economic crisis a slim majority of Americans still think the country should pursue a mission to Mars. According to a newly released CBS News poll released to coincide with today’s 40th anniversary of the lunar landing, 51 percent of Americans support a plan to send astronauts to the red planet.

The possibility of life on Mars has been a perennial fascination for Americans, and has made its way into pop culture for decades. Consider everything from "The War of the Worlds" radio broadcast to Marvin the Martian.

The Mars plan also has some influential backers: The astronauts on board the Apollo 11 crew to the moon. "America, do you still dream great dreams? Do you still believe in yourself? Are you ready for a great national challenge?" Buzz Aldrin asked Sunday in a rare appearance with fellow crew members Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The three men will meet with President Barack Obama today and are expected to pitch him their Mars vision.

"Sometimes I think I flew to the wrong place. Mars was always my favorite as a kid and it still is today," Collins said Sunday. "I'd like to see Mars become the focus, just as John F. Kennedy focused on the moon."

So next time you crane your neck up to the sky, do not ask yourself, what if? Ask yourself: When?