Colonizing Mars has long been an inspiration to scientists, space enthusiasts, and futurists. Many see it as a means to ensure humanity survives threats like runaway climate change or an asteroid strike.
However, the journey to Mars will be treacherous and demanding; requiring new and advanced technologies.
Humans are capable of living on other planets
Human life on other planets has long been a subject of science fiction, movies and novels alike. Scientists are currently working to make it possible for humans to survive elsewhere – they’re designing tools that will go to Mars or other planets in search of basic building blocks of life that might shed some insight into how it developed here on Earth and other places in space.
Mars is the primary target for space exploration in our solar system and could have once been habitable environments. Scientists are investigating using natural resources from Mars as fuel to reduce costs and produce oxygen; such technologies could create sustainable missions in the future.
Human missions to Mars face one of their main obstacles in finding enough oxygen. Mars has an atmosphere much thinner than that found here on Earth, making breathing difficult; prolonged exposure could result in hypoxia or even death from asphyxiation. Scientists are exploring various techniques for maintaining breathable air on the planet surface including using greenhouse gases as thickeners of its atmosphere.
Mars faces seasonal difficulties as well, thanks to its elliptical orbit causing temperatures to vary across its northern and southern hemispheres, which may affect food production as some crops require warm conditions for growth. Furthermore, unstable polar ice caps increase earthquake risk as well as volcanic eruption risks.
Before sending humans to Mars, there are also psychological considerations that must be made. These include the effects of long-duration space flight on crew members and isolation from home base; it is critical that these factors affect how well a crew works together as a unit and their psychological well-being.
The first human missions to Mars are expected to commence by the 2020s, using both uncrewed and crewed vehicles. Refueling of spacecraft must occur in space while crewmembers prepare for long journeys while devising methods of repairing equipment in space, and learn to cope with radiation- and gravity-related health effects in space – this will require significant research, preparation, training and financial investment from all parties involved.
Humans are capable of surviving on other planets
Researchers are investigating how humans could survive on other planets like Mars. To do this successfully, they need to consider multiple factors – food, water and radiation issues among others – while taking into account climate, surface conditions and climate patterns on Mars itself. Furthermore, protecting themselves against UV radiation while maintaining an air breathable atmosphere must also be top priorities.
One way to accomplish this goal is through the use of spacecraft capable of altering their environment – known as “terraforming”, this technique creates an atmosphere conducive to human life. Another approach would be constructing underground habitats protected from UV rays from the Sun, offering more protection than living on planet surfaces.
An important challenge of exploring Mars lies in transporting enough resources from Earth; each person needs two years’ worth of food and supplies for survival on their trip there, plus dealing with 38% less gravity compared to Earth. Scientists are working on spacecraft capable of using lunar fuel and returning with additional oxidants necessary for refueling back on Earth.
Scientists are considering Mars as an ideal destination for future humans. The third planet from the sun boasts similar day length to Earth, an abundance of water ice, and a thin atmosphere – not to mention chemical composition similar to early Earth which may have supported life at some point; however there have been no signs of life on the surface or within its interior yet.
Although Mars may seem hostile to life, it provides numerous advantages for scientific exploration. It holds important clues to solar system history, how terrestrial planets sustain life and sustain habitats, how terraforming other worlds works and is also the likely candidate for extraterrestrial life in our galaxy – an assistant professor of chemistry named Amanda Stockton is currently working in her lab looking for biomolecules that might provide essential components of extraterrestrial life such as amino acids or proteins which form building blocks for life on Mars or elsewhere in space –
NASA’s moon-first agenda is essential, but also essential to understanding how people can thrive on other planets. Though no simple answers exist for this question, key challenges have been identified such as fuel costs and 20-minute communication delays from Mars; secondly, creating sustainable food sources while eliminating skin-irritating dust should also be considered key issues.
Some research suggests that humans could survive on Mars by converting its carbon dioxide into oxygen and adding nutrients to its soil, which would allow plants to flourish in its thin atmosphere, providing food.
Humans are capable of surviving in space
NASA scientists are hard at work developing the technologies and capabilities for an expedition to Mars. A key challenge will be slowing a human-sized spacecraft from speeds exceeding 100,000km per hour in order to ensure a landing gentle enough for astronauts and payloads to survive.
Finding enough water will be another significant obstacle, though. Although its current amount remains unknown, recent research indicates that Mars likely once held much more water. Furthermore, this research implies there may be additional water underground than anticipated.
Next will come the challenge of cultivating plants on Mars, which requires creating new types of soil without organics – the decayed biological materials essential for plant roots – in which to thrive. Regolith, one such soil type that must be cleansed of toxic chemicals before use can commence; greenhouses will be essential to provide shelter from cold temperatures and radiation exposure for cultivation.
Scientists will have to closely study the Martian climate and its variations over time in order to ascertain whether its conditions are conducive to life. One of the primary concerns will be understanding its formation; and whether there is still evidence of life today on Mars’ surface. One possibility could be that Mars first emerged alongside Earth 4.6 billion years ago with abundant liquid water and denser atmosphere conditions similar to today.
Mars remains shrouded in mystery after it left Earth, such as whether or not it could ever have hosted life forms. A Mars mission will provide answers to these lingering questions about its past history and potential habitability.
Mission to Mars is costly and requires international cooperation, but nearly all major spacefaring nations agree on the long-term goal of sending humans there, but disagreement remains on what steps should be taken until then.
One option would be to send robots ahead of the humans to establish bases; this may save money and risk, while still enabling scientists to do all the science required on Mars. Another possibility would be sending humans with all necessary equipment including oxygen generators and fuel makers so that their return trip is possible.
At any rate, it is vital that we gain a better understanding of the physiological impacts of long-term space travel on both body and mind. This knowledge will become even more critical as future trips to inner and outer planets involve increasingly longer round-trip journeys; currently the longest single journey recorded was 58 solar years. To prepare ourselves adequately for such long journeys it is also crucial that we learn how our bodies adapt over time when experiencing such environments.