Mars has the potential for colonization due to the presence of essential elements for life and a thin atmosphere that could support a limited biosphere. However, the low gravity level could cause health problems and make travel to Earth difficult. Mars’ atmosphere could be converted into oxygen through the introduction of hardy plants and artificial photosynthesis. Water and ice on Mars could be used for drinking and farming, but the long journey and cost of travel remain obstacles. Space development will focus on low Earth orbit and the Moon until better rockets and cheaper launch costs are available.
Mars is the most colonizing body in the Solar System apart from perhaps the Moon, which deserves the title only for its proximity to Earth and low escape velocity. The five elements absolutely essential in large quantities for life: carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and calcium, are all present on Mars. The atmosphere is only 3% nitrogen out of our 80%, but this is enough to support a colonization effort and possibly, with terraforming, even a limited biosphere. In contrast, the Moon lacks substantial amounts of carbon, nitrogen, or hydrogen.
Mars has a gravity level of 0.38g compared to Earth’s 1g. This is as close to Earth as can be found on theoretically habitable bodies in the Solar System, but it is still quite low and could give rise to a number of health problems associated with lower gravity levels. At the very least, it would make it incredibly difficult — or quite possibly, impossible — for people who grew up on Mars to travel to Earth, unless they have cybernetic skeletons of some sort.
One of the most attractive aspects of Mars is its atmosphere. It has one, though it’s about 100 times thinner than Earth’s, which is a plus. An atmosphere helps for landings: aerobraking becomes possible. It also protects against harmful cosmic rays; although humans on Mars would still need to live in shielded domes, these domes don’t have to be as thick as lunar domes should be. Mars’ atmosphere consists mostly of carbon dioxide, but if hardy plants were introduced to the Martian surface, they could start converting more of the atmosphere into oxygen. Artificial photosynthesis is also a long-term possibility. Nitrates and carbonates on the surface of Mars could be broken down by heat rays for atmospheric nitrogen and vital carbon.
Recent evidence has shown past evidence of water on Mars, and the presence of a Martian ice cap is surprisingly obvious. The first Martian colonies may be there, smelting water for drinking and farming. A major concern about Martian colonization is the relatively long journey, six to eight months each way.
Experiences with nuclear submarines show that people can probably make trips of this length without going mad, but a Russian experiment that put five individuals in a small capsule for a year ended in a fist fight, prompting a couple of people to leave. the experiment. Perhaps cheaper launch costs and better rockets in the future will make this journey less of a mental and physical obstacle. Until then, we will focus our space development on low Earth orbit and the Moon.
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