OthnielEver since humanity conquered the moon in 1969, we’ve realized the potential of our expansionist nature and wondered whether it could extend to the far reaches of space. Mars seems like the next best candidate, owing to its proximity from the sun and somewhat similar terrain to Earth. Though the concept seems to reside in the realm of science fiction rather than reality, it may soon become a necessity to humanity’s survival as resources on Earth dwindle, climate change brings forth disastrous results, or the next big extinction event wipes out most of the life on Earth.
Here, we look at what challenges a prospective colony will have to face on Mars as well as what a Martian colon might look like.
Getting to Mars
Before settling on Mars, we have to worry about getting there. The distance between the two planets is not fixed but varies as they traverse along their orbits. This means we cannot just go to Mars as and when we please. We’ll have to wait until the planets are at their closest points to each other to schedule a launch. This happens approximately every 2 years, where we can determine the closest approach to Mars. Additionally, getting to Mars is expensive. Other than the crew, the rocket transporting them will be required to carry resources for them, including tools and ration supplies, increasing the fuel required to overcome Earth’s gravity.
Luckily, this is where reusable rockets come into the fray. With companies now investing in this technology, reusable rockets are now providing agencies with a low-cost way to send cargo (both human and otherwise) to space. This reusability ensures that companies don’t have to build new rockets every time they want to perform a space launch.
The Settlement
Assuming rocket technology continues to develop and reaches a point where it becomes relatively inexpensive to travel to Mars, the colony will have to face other challenges on the Martian surface. It is not a place for the faint of heart; a dry, cold, barren, and toxic place that will kill practically anything.
Mars’s atmosphere is thin, and the planet doesn’t have a magnetosphere to deflect harmful space radiation. Plus, the soil on its surface contains toxic chlorate salts that makes it incredibly alkaline. Hence, the settlers will have to live in pods that are completely sealed off from the surroundings and have thick shielding to lessen the amount of radiation entering the living quarters. This also implies that you can’t grow anything in the soil (sorry Matt Damon); hence hydroponic greenhouses will be required to grow food for the settlers.
Energy
Energy is perhaps the biggest concern when settling on Mars. Without it, no colony will have the means to survive. Since Mars is further away from the sun, it doesn’t receive the same intensity of sunlight that Earth does; therefore, solar power may not be a viable energy source.
At the moment, nuclear power seems like the best option for settlers, with fuel and resources needing to come from Earth via multiple trips. Nuclear energy can provide plenty of energy to drive processes that synthesize food and water, drive machinery, and sustain the atmosphere inside pods.
Living on Mars
Since Mars has a completely different atmosphere than Earth, it will need to be simulated inside the pods to the correct pressure and composition as that of the Earth’s. Settlers will have to don special space suits that shield them from the environment when they venture outside.
However, most of their lives will have to be spent indoors, relying on advanced technology like drones and robots to do most of the work. They’ll have to go through daily physical exercise on account of the weak gravity on Mars. This prevents bone and muscle loss, as well as prevents the onset of cardiovascular issues.
However, once these initial teething issues have been sorted out, it opens the door to space tourism and the likes.
In Closing
Though settling on Mars seems like a challenging task, it is by no means impossible. It will require the strength, resilience, and ingenuity, resourcefulness as well as innovative technological solutions like the ACE Launch system currently being developed by Advanced Rockets Corporation.
To know more about the possibility of settling on Mars and low-cost means of travel to the red planet, get in touch with us.
