Human settlement on Mars and the effects of our colonisation
Kirsteen McCalman
Space travel is somewhat of a high possibility now. The Mars One campaign to send humans to Mars has received 200,000 applicants, and 24 people will be chosen to leave Earth in 2025. With all this hype, we must wonder whether or not it is actually worth the risk. What is the Martian environment like? How would we colonise Mars? What rules and regulations would need to be in place and what would life be like for the settlers? And would it be ethically correct to settle on Mars? These are the questions that spring to mind for many people and these and more questions have and will be answered.
What is the Martian environment like? Could we live on it as it is?
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It has two natural satellites, its moons Phobos and Deimos, and is about half the size of the Earth. Scientists reckon it holds the best chance in our solar system to support human life. Mars lies just outside the "habitable zone" of our sun; the place where the average energy and light given off by the sun can support life. Because of this, summer on Mars is on average between -20 and 30°C. In winter it's a lot colder. Because of Mars's strange orbit, the seasons are not equal amounts of time. For example whilst the Mars Autumn last 5.3 Earth months, "spring is seven months long". (Jon White, 2014)
A factor we have to consider for colonisation is the Martian gravity. Gravity controls our lives in even the simplest of ways. Bone, muscle, and blood are affected by gravity, and humans lose a lot in space. “Without the quadriceps, buttocks, calves, and erector spinae that surround the spinal column and keep it standing tall, the pull of gravity would collapse the human body into a fetal ball and leave it curled close to the floor.” (Sonal Chokshi, 2014)
Also, “Because 99 percent of our body’s calcium is stored in the skeleton, as it wastes away, that calcium finds its way into the bloodstream, causing yet more problems from constipation to renal stones to psychotic depression.” (Sonal Chokshi,
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The Treaty, which came into force in 1967, says among other things, that "outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all states" (UNOOSA, 2015) and "the moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes." (UNOOSA, 2015) Would terraforming come under peaceful purposes? Probably. There is no civilisation under attack. I suspect the underlying basis of the treaty was inspired by the Antarctic Treaty, which was introduced in 1961. It states that "Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only" (ATS, 1961) and no country can claim Antarctica as their own. It is neutral ground. This is very similar to that of the Outer Space treaty, as space is also considered neutral
“I think humans will reach Mars, and I would like to see it happen in my lifetime” was said by Buzz Aldrin, a NASA astronaut. The former American aeronaut from Montclair, New Jersey believes that since Mars does exist, it is waiting to be reached by humans. When this would happen, he says that the human race would “evolve into a two-planet species.” Present day Mars has a lot of canyons, mountains and volcanoes. Even though the surface is Mars is very old, scientists learned about different younger rift valleys, plains, hills and ridges. According to recent reports, there were lakes and rivers, along with an ocean billions of years ago. The low temperatures on the planet cause there to be polar ice caps and frozen water present. Scientists continue to notice several discoveries on the planet that lead them to think there was once life on the planet. Different clues have scientists wanting to find out about even more. Many scientists in the past few centuries have been curious if life on Mars is possible or if it has ever been before.
Mars would be a challenging place for humans to live because of its dry conditions (lack of water) and cold temperatures. The frequent sandstorms and dust devils whipping across the surface of the planet would also make human existence difficult. Scientists believe that Mars had a think atmosphere in the past. They also think Mars was warmer and may have once contained liquid water.
Mars has a thin atmosphere, that would block some of the radiation meaning only light shielding would be required to protect the populace living there. The average person living on Mars would only take in an average of 11 millisieverts (mSv) a year, much less than the international space agencies maximum of 1000 mSv (Seedhouse). This means that the it could be safe to work and live on mars as long a six years before exceeding safe radiation levels. With the presence of water and it being safe from radiation the main problem a population would have is producing food. The study on PLOS one proved that the Moon had vary little chance of growing food however mars is quite the opposite. In some cases plants such as tomatoes, carrots, and rye actually grew and lasted better in the simulated Martian soil than in the Earths (Wamelink). This means that even though the soil might be devoid of life now, it has the capability to grow and sustain a population, allowing the future possibility of a Mars mission to be a possibility. Furthermore, proving that a Mars mission could be independent from Earth, and not have to rely on shipments of the basic requirements to survive. NASA has proven it wants to go to mars however such a large undertaking comes at a cost, and it is one that NASA just cannot afford it at the
Mars is our next best hope in life on another planet. Because of science mankind can grow and harvest plants in the modified mars soil, make a thick warm atmosphere, and drink no frozen mars water. Mankind can grow and flourish more as a species with this idea of colonizing mars. With more scientific advancements we can colonize mars and we will colonize mars.
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun at about 228 million-km (141 million miles) and the last terrestrial planet from the sun. The next five planets in order from the sun are gaseous. Mars follows closely behind Earth but is comparatively smaller, with about half the diameter of Earth and about one-tenth of Earth’s mass. Thus the force of gravity on Mars is about one-third of that on Earth. Though it is much smaller, Mars does have the same surface land area as Earth. Other than Earth, Mars posses the most highly varied and interesting known terrain in our solar system. The surface of Mars is a very hostile place however it is more like Earth’s surface than any other planet in our solar system.
Colonizing Mars is a huge mistake. Mars one is planning to send humans to settle on the red planet. Colonizing Mars is a dangerous operation because it is a one way trip,there is no food or water currently there,and the toxic atmosphere.
Even though we have confirmed the possibility of colonizing Mars, there are certain limitations posed by our current technology and by the space environment that could make traveling to Mars lengthy, expensive, and dangerous. Insert VASIMR rocket info- Because the mission to Mars would be long, astronauts would be exposed to radiation from space for extended periods of time, which could be potentially hazardous. As is indicated by the Mars Curiosity Rover's Radiation Assessment Detector, for a mission including a 360 day round-trip travel period, and stay of 500 days on Mars would expose a human to a total radiation dose of around 1.01 sieverts [11]. It has been shown that in weak gravity, humans can lose muscle mass at a rate as high as 5% a week [13].
Going to a Mars is an idea that is heavily debated in society and whether it is worth all of the government dollars to pursue a mission like this. The concept that will be explained is the idea of colonizing mars, as well as the various effects that it would bring upon humanity. This will includes issues such as Mars’ weather, how we plan on getting there, and what the cost to travel there will be. Past endeavors when it comes to space travel will also be discussed The benefits to humanity will also be discussed, and how having people on Mars may protect the human race if a global catastrophe were to occur.
Starting with Mars being too dangerous. Colonists could be exposed to radiation which can result in cancer, brain damage, tumors, sickness, or death. Secondly, Mars has a lower gravity than Earth which means over time colonists would lose bone mass, have a weaker immune system, and have a weaker heart and body. Lastly, colonists would be in a closed environment for a long periods of time which could lead to mental problems according to NASA and Mars One.
One Mars year is equal to about two Earth years because mars is further away from the sun than Earth. That is equal to about 687 earth days. The planet has an oval shaped orbit around the sun, causing the seasons to have drastic impacts. The days on mars are only slightly longer than days on earth, at about 24 hours and 39
An alternative proposition to make Mars suitable for human habitation is terraforming Mars; to deliberately change it’s environment to provide Earth-like ecosystems and that are suitable for humans. Terraforming Mars would be a long time in the future, it would take more than 50,000 years to terraform Mars if we started now. Other sources state that “it would be hundreds of years before the thin Martian atmosphere could be transformed into an oxygen-rich cradle for life” (Livescience.com). Turning Mars’s cold atmosphere into a warm one, having a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere with oxygen for humans to breathe, and restoring its habitable state, is possible. And there is no reason to think that Mars is sterile or even hostile to life forms,
In 2012, the Mars One program was announced, which aims to build the first human settlement on the surface of Mars. The first mission would depart Earth in 2026, sending four people on a one-way journey to the surface of Mars. Additional four-person crews would be sent to Mars at every succeeding launch opportunity to further support and expand the Martian colony. The crew is selected from a pool of applicants who were enthusiastic enough to go on a trip to Mars without coming back. These applicants may look at the program as a dream come true, but others could perceive it as a nightmare.
Did you ever think we should go to Mars? Well, we should colonize to Mars! My reasons are it’s a good back-up plan, it has many minerals and land, and we might even find something there, maybe even life! Let me explain my reasons.
Though we seem many years away from interplanetary travel, a project called Mars One wishes to establish a colony of humans on Mars by 2026. They plan to send a crew of four on a one-way craft every 26 months. An important factor in the success of these missions are the people selected to live on Mars and their influence on this new society. They should have traits that will benefit and sustain the colony on Mars. Therefore, the four individuals selected should display traits of resourcefulness and adaptability.
... The problem with the gravity of Mars is that weightlessness can make you sick. Meaning that because humans are so adapted to the conditions here on Earth, such a drastic change will make them sick. Adaptation will have to occur, meaning that the stations on Mars might have to somehow mimic the conditions of Earth. Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming_of_Mars http://www.universetoday.com/9497/magnesium-could-be-a-source-of-fuel-on-mars/. http://www.mars-one.com/faq/health-and-ethics/will-the-astronauts-have-enough-water-food-and-oxygen.