Curiosity found Water on Mars – what it means for us in the near future?

As the title subjects the Curiosity rover discovered “easily accessible” water on Mars, which could mean a plethora of opportunities for the human race to expand. Currently they have found no solid evidence for organic material on the planet but they are hopeful. If Mars is suitable for life, or even suitable as a interstellar gas station, it could mean that we can one day explore and expand beyond our planet.

While this finding might not currently affect us directly, what does it mean for the future? In the current United States, the human rights of its citizens are guaranteed within its borders and occupying areas. The world as a whole has a general consensus on what is allowed and disallowed, but on international waters, specific freedoms, such as those listed on the Bill of Rights aren’t prevalent. Human Rights vary from country to country and are up to the individual governing states to determine what they are and how they interpret them, and we to be tolerant of these traditions and rules. When a citizen from one country visits another, they abide by their rules and customs, but Mars and international territory alike are uncharted territory. Since international waters are generally avoided by the mass population there has not been a big concern as to what is or is not allowed there, but what happens if a new uncharted territory enters the game? Will the “international laws” that protect our rights expand to those outlying regions? And who will be allowed to go?