Mars is a hot topic currently as companies such as SpaceX have their sights aimed at establishing a colony in the future, but how viable will it really be? On my lunch, I decided to create a quick summary of it all. What do you think?Mars information-
· Radius of 6805km with a gravity of 0.38g, 11% of Earths mass
· Atmosphere of 95% carbon dioxide, 3% Nitrogen, 1.6% argon
· Temperature, High of about 70*F and low of about -225*F
· 100-pound man would weigh 38 pounds with its gravity
· Orbits sun every 687 earth days, Martian days are about 30 minutes longer
Why Mars?
· Has an excellent potential for terraforming
· Seasons like Earth: warmth and light due to the proximity of the sun
· Soil contains water to extract
· Enough sunlight for solar panels
· Atmosphere to offer protection from radiation
· Ensures the human race’s survivability due to Earth’s failing health
· Growing political/economic leadership
Difficulties of living there
· Extreme Cold weather
· Dust storms during which light from the sun drops by 99%
· Isolation
· Who to send?
· Radiation, gravity, atmosphere
· Cost, getting there/back. Initial set-up/upkeep of colony, continued support
What we need and how to get it
· Large structure with reflective plates to manage heat
· Energy alternative
· Sustainability, food, water, warmth, waste
· Cost effective transport to and from Mars
· Population of carefully screened and tested individuals
Sustaining life
· Recycling everything
· Biospheres
· Energy creation and storage
· Pesticides, Antibiotics
· Proper de-contamination
· Psychological checks
Who to send?
· Young healthy individuals, fertile, physically fit
· Stable, emotionally and psychologically
· Intelligent in the specific areas that are needed
· Language and country of origin
· Proper size to fit in spacecraft as well as small corridors of buildings
The psychological impact on human isolation
· Social Isolation
· Depression, insomnia, fatigue, boredom, emotional instability
· Loss of privacy
· Life indoors, confinement
· Lack of health and mental health services
· Reproducing
· Self-contained habitat important features
· Radiation protection and Atmosphere regulation
· Micro-organisms from Earth and Mars
· Problems making it self-sufficient, supplies from earth
· Temp, radiation and humidity, water processing, Oxygen circulation, fire detection, and suppression, CO2 removal
Categories: Random Thoughts
Securing The Universe 