Forget About Terraforming Mars. Here's Why. "There isn’t a source of CO2 that could replenish the atmosphere — even outgassing of CO2 from volcanoes has got to be incredibly slow today," Jakosky added. "If we wanted to put enough CO2 into the atmosphere to raise temperatures significantly, it would take something like 10 million kilometer-sized comets (if they were all made entirely of CO2). This is just not feasible." Sorry but I guess it's not going to happen. But domed cities probably make more sense anyway.
The CO2 we are putting into the atmosphere now was once in the atmosphere and taken out when life was much more prolific than it is now at our dangerously low level to maintain life.
Even if we could replenish the atmosphere, doesn't the basic problem of "Mars doesn't have a strong enough magnetic field to protect its atmosphere" apply? We would have to constantly replenish the atmosphere to make up for losses. Or create an artificial magnetic field.
There seem to be flowing water under the rock. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-confirms-evidence-that-liquid-water-flows-on-today-s-mars So liquid water can exist on Mars, it just has to be underground where there is more pressure since the atmosphere lacks the pressure needed to keep water molecule together. Maybe life exists on Mars underground where flowing water exists? If we want to colonize Mars and not have to waste energy and money constantly replenishing the atmosphere then we have to build underground colonies
Yeah, that's probably the most reasonable approach. And one we can test out on the Moon (which may even have water and some other necessary things).
Its all about expanding our horizons, meeting the challenges of shaping our own environment in a hostile solar system that is ripe for discovery and exploitation. The race to the moon contributed massively to human knowledge, expertise and technology and dramatically transformed our society. The race to mars will no doubt yield equally impressive contributions to humanity's wealth.
Just because you didn't hit your head on the bottom of the pool the first time you dived, doesn't mean you're going to prevent hitting your head the next time you dive deeper. The race to Mars might just bankrupt all who try it. There's no riches on Mars it's just a money sink.
We have to expand beyond earth eventually. Our population will continue to grow. And so will our technology. We are merely pioneering our future. Mars is our first challenge and it will lay the ground work for the future ahead.
Show me a link from a credible source. In fact, you don't have any link. Unless and until then I say it's just gibberish.
Even though I am a huge fan of space exploration, I tend to agree. The race to the moon was a pissing match between us and the Soviets. There was really no reason to go there either. In the future, it might make sense to mine the moon. We get 1000s of times the bang for the buck with robotic explorers. Trying to keep a human alive makes the exploration fantastically difficult. Not to mention that 1 out of 3 robotic missions fail - which would mean dead astronauts if people were involved. What will make missions to Mars practical are more advanced propulsions systems. That is where to put the money for now.
Yeah, we should wait until we are flying around in UFOs and then we can explore the Universe looking for Earth-like planets.
There was a short burst of high interest in the Heim Engine. Then it either failed or went black. They were talking about Mars in two hours! I believe Heim Theory has been shown to be false but I'm not positive.
Seems like life did pretty well when the pioneers came over. Bison by the Millon's, trees from coast to coast, Cod so thick in the Grand Banks it slowed ships. Sardines, Whales, and many other forms of life. Your post is once again ludicrous.
The point is to build up our tech so that we could actually go to distant worlds. And our experience lead to better knowledge
Yeah, even if you are a Mars colonist fan, there are plenty of opportunities for proof of concept right here on earth. Antarctica is practically a garden compared to Mars, so self sustaining habitats in Antarctica should have a track record before we even think about outer space.
That's great, & understood. My point is, why don't we transform areas of our current world first? Much of the tech. that would be used elsewhere could be tested/developed here- like we do now, only without any transformative benefit-. Once or while we do this, our current world will be in better shape, (maybe?) and make traveling to, and / or transforming any other world(s) even more about expanding our current yard? The added benefit of curse, being the unlikely need to eventually abandon this one, due to misuse.
No. Because flying to antartica and camping out is not the same as flying out to mars and camping out. Let alone more distant worlds. Theories of what to use and what technology to use is all good. But we got to put the theories to practice and improve as well as identify faults. From the equipment that will get us there. To equipment that will land us there. To the equipment to sustain us there. To methods and practices used. We cannot hope to reach the future if we don't climb the steps of pioneering today We didn't expand our horizons by simulating how uncharted territory might be like from the comforts of their homes. They went on a boat and sailed the long perilous journey.
We also need to restart the Martian core to reestablish a magnetoshere to protect surface life and atmosphere from Cosmic Radiation. We also need to increase the mass of Mars to better hold the atmosphere on the planet. Then let's talk about atmosphere and water too. Moi Moon base first. Then Mars. r > g Across an immense, unguarded, ethereal border, Canadians, cool and unsympathetic, regard our America with envious eyes and slowly and surely draw their plans against us.
Because earth is already Terraformed... Mars is 1/3 the size of earth. And is also ~50 million miles farther from the sun. I don't think that we can simulate these conditions on earth. So while we can theorize what will happen. We will never truly know. Nothing good will come by suddenly shifting the ballance in a big way.
It comes up a blank page for me. I did a search and only found it in one blog that hardly counts as a source - "the seeker" or something. It isn't true just because some person said so on the internet.
