Illumin Magazine



Moving To Mars: Mankind’s Next HomeBy: Blake IvesThe ultimate future of the human race is unknown, but some day there will be a need to leave our beloved home planet, Earth. Any number of events could be cause for interstellar colonization; a global-extinction-sized asteroid on a collision path with Earth, our sun’s eminent expansion into a red giant as it nears the end of its life, global nuclear fallout, or even the invasion of hostile alien species. Regardless of the reason we need to leave the planet, interplanetary colonization will be essential for human survival. The first stepping stone to the preservation of the human race is life on Mars. Living on Mars has been the premise behind generations of science-fiction works including Outpost Mars by Cyril Judd, Arthur C. Clarke’s The Sands of Mars, and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy: Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. As technology continues to advance, the concept of colonization is becoming less of science-fiction and more of a reality: however, there are still many obstacles that must be overcome if humans are to live on the “Red Planet” someday.This article will present and discuss key factors, obstacles, developments and headways, and strategies for colonizing Mars.Why Mars? When considering galactic colonization, a common question among theorists and scientists is not, “Should we colonize?” but rather, “Where should we colonize first?” There are plenty of reasonable options when it comes to our “cosmic backyard,” the solar system: Venus, the planetary body most similar to Earth in composition, size, density, and one of our neighboring planets; Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons which contains liquid water and a thermally active core that could easily harbor biological development; the Moon, the closest planetary body to Earth, and one that we have set foot on before; and Mars, another neighboring planet and one that may lie within the “Goldilocks Zone” where astronomical conditions are appropriate to harbor life. While there are pros and cons to colonizing each body, public interest in Mars is high. Since public interest often affects funding, Mars is a front-runner for a future human habitat.03248660Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1: Comparison of basic Earth and Mars properties Credit: NASA0Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1: Comparison of basic Earth and Mars properties Credit: NASA-6353048000Mars attracts attention because it is the most publicized of our fellow solar-satellites. Often advertised as being similar to our beloved Earth itself, Mars is a reasonable consideration for scientific inquiry. Mars and Earth do in fact have a lot in common.As seen in Figure 1, the Martian day (24 hours 39 minutes 35 seconds) lasts nearly the same as Earth’s [1]; Mars has an axial tilt, causing seasons [1]; the polar ice caps and soil contain deposits of water [2][3]; gravity on Mars’ surface is 3.711ms2, roughly 38% of Earth’s [4]. But, while those similarities are enticing criteria for a retirement home, there is much dissimilarity that would make living on Mars quite difficult.Obstacles We Would Face:While Mars is one of the closest planets to our home world, and shares many favorable characteristics, there are quite a few critical factors that need consideration before launching to another planet. These factors range from alien environment to physical and psychological wear to cost and permanent living arrangements. All of these issues are essential to colonists’ survival and must be carefully evaluated when considering colonization missions.Martian Environment:Life on Mars would be vastly different from the day-to-day ease it is here on Earth. The largest measureable difference is the environment. The Martian atmosphere is predominantly carbon-dioxide gas, CO2, which is poisonous to all life on Earth in large quantities. On Mars, carbon-dioxide composes roughly 93% of the atmosphere, whereas on Earth carbon-dioxide makes up roughly 0.04% [4][5]. The high percentage of carbon-dioxide in Mars’ atmosphere poses a poisonous threat to any normal earthling. This problem has been approached in a number of ways. One method is to transport dark lichen, algae, and bacteria to the Martian surface. These organisms would convert CO2 into small amounts of oxygen, produce carbohydrates, and raise the planet’s average temperature, -63℃ -76℉, by reducing the planet’s albedo radiation and trapping more thermal energy [4][5][6]. An alternative method is to import mass quantities of hydrogen gas into the atmosphere. Using known gas properties, the hydrogen could react with carbon dioxide to produce methane and water via the Sabatier reaction [7]. The water and methane produced could be easily used by colonists to maintain their habitat and daily lives.Other environmental differences include the thin atmosphere and lack of a strong magnetosphere. The Martian atmosphere is 6.36 millibars of pressure on average, one hundred sixty times thinner than the average atmosphere on Earth’s surface, 1014 millibars [4][8]. To survive such low atmospheric pressure on Mars colonists would require pressurized suits. A strong magnetosphere, will partially shield a planet from solar, albedo, and cosmic radiation. As seen in Figure 2, Mars has a much weaker magnetosphere compared to Earth. Since Mars does not have a strong magnetosphere, the surface of the planet experiences high levels of radiation [9]. Exposure to 25336502990850Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 2: Solar wind hitting Venus (top) Earth (middle) Mars (bottom). Earth has a strong magnetosphere and therefore is more protected from radiation from space. Credit: ESA 00Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 2: Solar wind hitting Venus (top) Earth (middle) Mars (bottom). Earth has a strong magnetosphere and therefore is more protected from radiation from space. Credit: ESA high levels of radiation can cause radiation sickness or even death amongst humans.2534920-163576000The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Curiosity rover measures radiation levels on the Martian surface. According to Hassler [10], RAD is designed to determine both atmospheric composition and radiation levels on the Martian surface. Although RAD data is not yet available for comparison, it is certain that current space suits, which are designed for high radiation - low pressure environments, would need to be modified to account for the change in radioactive exposure.Human Health:Another consideration for colonization would be psychological and physical health. The most efficient and safest journey to Mars takes roughly seven months [11]. Being confined in a small spacecraft with 3-5 people for seven months, then spending years disassociated with life on Earth, combined with the stresses of adjusting to life in an entirely new terrain could be mentally exhausting. The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) conducted the Mars500 experiment, a simulation of the seven month journey to and from Mars, to analyze psychological effects of long term isolation. Six “marsonauts” were locked in a capsule near Moscow, Russia for 520 days to simulate the trip to and from our red neighbor. According to the ESA,“In addition to being helpful in determining psychological aspects of spaceflight, this research has been invaluable in determining radiation hazards and the adaptation to weightlessness, as well as in the development of life support systems” [12].Living on Mars would certainly have physical detriments as well. Tests aboard space stations, as well as astronaut health exams post spaceflight, have determined that human bodies deteriorate rapidly in microgravity. According to Joyner, long-term exposure to microgravity causes decreases in bone density, cardiovascular efficiency, and muscle mass [13]. However, since these tests were conducted in microgravity while orbiting Earth, it is not certain how the human body will react to Martian gravity.Price:Space travel is not by any means cheap. One of the most recent missions to the “Red Planet”, the Mars Science Laboratory (dubbed “Curiosity”), cost NASA roughly $2.5 billion [14]. Prospective costs of colonizing Mars start in the hundred billions of dollars for research, design, construction, and habitat stabilization. However, the cost diminishes significantly if astronauts sent to Mars would not be returning home. Providing a “one-way-ticket” to Mars would cut all costs of materials, fuel, and construction of a Martian launch vehicle, as well as transporting those materials to the planet itself. The introduction of the private space sector will also reduce the price of future missions to Mars. According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, “an advanced, reusable system could allow individuals seeking round trips to Mars for just $500,000” [15]. Groundbreaking organizations like SpaceX, MarsDrive, and MarsOne are advancing space technologies to make spaceflight both more affordable and more accessible.Energy:One problem with space travel is the production of electricity and power. Spacecraft power supplies can range from nuclear reactors to pre-charged batteries; however, the most commonly used energy source for medium to long duration space missions is solar power. Solar power, or the production of electricity through photovoltaic cells, has often been considered expensive and inefficient. Fortunately, continuous research has made the technology cheaper, as well as more energy effective. Between early 2008 and April, 2012, the cost of photovoltaic cells decreased nearly 75%, from $3.88/W to $1.01/W [16]. To determine the most efficient method for converting light into usable energy, solar power companies are also experimenting with cell composition and layouts. Companies like TetraSun and AltaDevices have created cells that absorb visible light with 20%-30% efficiency [17]. While these companies focus on visible light, research is being conducted at centers across the United States to include other ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum. It has been estimated that solar cells could improve up to 80% efficiency by including other areas of the spectrum [18]. With the continual decrease in production cost and increase in efficiency, solar energy will likely be a main source of power for future Martian inhabitants.Another mechanism that will be essential to Martian life is the fuel cell. Fuel cells are devices which create electrical energy through means of chemical reaction. Due to increased carbon emissions on Earth, ongoing studies at Princeton University are attempting to combine carbon dioxide (CO2) with hydrogen and oxygen to produce hydrocarbons for fuel [19]. The main problems the research team faces are funding and gathering large quantities of resources. With the lab’s current product efficiency, to match the oil industry’s power output the team would require 8,500 moles of CO2 per barrel of oil consumed in the United States [19]. While such quantities of carbon dioxide are difficult to obtain on Earth, the Martian atmosphere is 93% carbon dioxide, making the fuel cell a viable power source. If the team can make the process affordable, CO2 powered fuel cells could decrease the concentration of the poisonous gas in the Martian atmosphere while also providing a steady power supply for future colonists. How will we survive?Companies, corporations, and individuals have been suggesting detailed plans for safely and cheaply forming a colony on Mars for many years. The first theory I ever heard was that of my seventh-grade space camp counselor, “First, melt the polar ice caps and glaciers with lasers from satellites. Then, pot plants all around the planet so they can turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen for us. Lastly, put up an umbrella to block the radiation.” 32321504620895Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 3: Artist renderings of possible Martian colonist habitats.(Above) Use of lava tubes and caves [NASA] (Below) Surface biodomes [MarsFoundation]00Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 3: Artist renderings of possible Martian colonist habitats.(Above) Use of lava tubes and caves [NASA] (Below) Surface biodomes [MarsFoundation]3228975258699000323215056959500To his credit, many theories for terraforming Mars recommend melting the polar ice caps to produce useable water; however, melting the caps would release trapped CO2 molecules and increase the toxicity of the Martian atmosphere even further [20]. A more practical concept would be to avoid the harsh environment by living underground in caves or empty lava tubes. These underground caverns would shield inhabitants from the dangerous levels of radiation and cold temperatures [21]. Another, highly publicized, concept is to live in a giant structure on the surface that supports an artificial environment, known as a biodome. A biodome on Mars would be similar to John Allen’s Biosphere 2 experiment performed at the University of Arizona [22]. The biosphere used in the experiment was an structure fit for self-sustainability and contained all necessary elements for human survival. However, biodomes on the Martian surface would still be subject to higher levels of radiation than living deep within the planet. Despite the higher radiation threat, versions of surface habitats similar to the biodome have been adopted by most organizations like SpaceX, MarsDirect, MarsOne, and NASA’s Mars Design Reference Mission, who are seriously interested in long term manned missions to Mars, due to the practicality and ease of construction on the surface compared to that of underground habitats.Summary:While many great challenges, ranging from environment to psychological stability to habitat construction, must be overcome before humans can colonize Mars, many technological feats have made moving to the “Red Planet” closer to a reality. Research and advancements in space technology, human safety, and alien environments are only the beginning of a long journey to land humans on another planet in our solar system. With innovative organizations like NASA, SpaceX, MarsDirect, and MarsOne leading the way in space exploration, living on Mars may no longer only be the dreams of science-fiction novelists anymore.References: [1] M. Allison and R. Schmunk. (2012, Aug 5). Technical Notes on Mars Solar Time as Adopted by the Mars24 Sunclock. [Online]. Available: [2] N. T. Redd. (2013, Sept. 26). Water on Mars: Exploration & Evidence. [Online] Available: [3] C. Choi. (2012, July 31). Mars: Facts and Information About the Red Planet. [Online] Available: [4] Dr. D. Williams. (2013, July 1). Mars Fact Sheet. [Online] Available: [5] T. G. Allan Green and W. P. Snelgar. (1891, Feb. 9). Carbon Dioxide Exchange in Lichens. [Online]. Available: [6] W. J. Kaufmann. (1991). Universe, 3rd Edition[7] [8] Dr. D. Williams. (2013, July 1). Earth Fact Sheet. [Online] Available: [9] J.G. Luhmann and C.T.Russell. (1997) MARS: MAGNETIC FIELD AND MAGNETOSPHERE [Online] Available: [10] D. Hassler. Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD). [Online] Available: [11] J. Briggs. (2014) 5 Hurdles to Conquer Before Colonizing Mars. [Online] Available: [12] [13] M.J. Joyner. (2014) Wasting away in Mars-Aritaville. [Online] Available: [14] ; Display=ReadMore[15] Tibi Puiu. (2012, March 22). SpaceX founder promises $500,000 there and back trips to Mars. [Online] Available: [16] M. Bazilian, et all. Re-considering the Economics of Photovoltaic Power. [Online] Available: [17] B. Scanlon. (2012, Nov. 11). New solar cell is more efficient, less costly. [Online]. Available: [18] R. Whitwam. (2013, Oct. 17) New nano-material could boost solar panel efficiency as high as 80%. [Online]. Available: [19] d. biello. (2011, May 19). Using CO2 to Make Fuel: A Long Shot for Green Energy [Online]. Available: [20] [21] G. E. Cushing. (2007). THEMIS OBSERVES POSSIBLE CAVE SKYLIGHTS ON MARS. [Online]. Available: [22] ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download