Should We Colonize Mars

From the beginnings of time, people have wondered: what is it like in space? What are the planets like? Astronomy will tell us. I have always liked astronomy. Stargazing is one thing I love doing. It is always rewarding to identify craters of the Moon or point out a faint constellation. That is why I decided to research astronomy. I decided on the question, “How might we colonize Mars?” I decided to research how we might colonize Mars. I picked this question because the prospect of colonizing planets is something I know little about. Although it is only being thought about, researched, and designed, there are many ideas out there. I decided I would look into a few of the many possibilities. Some of the subtopics that I researched are the

These include a space ship, food, water, hygiene, and music. A space ship is necessary because you need something to protect you from the cold vacuum of space. Without a space ship, whether just your suit or a vehicle, you can only survive 15 seconds. Also, a space ship will clean waste water and air, as well as remove flammable gases like methane from the ship. Food and water are both very important for survival. We need them even on Earth. Water, besides being consumed, is used to keep clean and as an additive for dehydrated foods. Food is also necessary, because it gives us energy. However, food on a space shuttle must be light. So, it is either dehydrated, temperature-stabilized, irradiated, or eaten natural form (if it is a fresh fruit of vegetable). It cannot include foods that crumble, like bread. These might clog machinery.

Hygiene is always important. In space, astronauts use soap and shampoo that work without water, in order to use less water. Also, astronauts have a toothbrush and toothpaste. Then they don't have need to see a dentist while in space. Exercise is also very important, because gravity doesn't pull on bones and muscles in space. Astronauts must exercise for at least two hours a

They will use growth labs to provide food. Also humans will search for signs of life. Sterilized robots will go to certain areas to search for signs of life. They must be sterilized so that any organisms from Earth will not interfere with the results. Also, humans will not go to these places so that organisms on them will not hamper results.

Once a colony is established, Buzz Aldrin proposed that they use an Aldrin Cycler to travel between the two planets. The Aldrin Cycler would orbit the sun, and carry passengers to Mars and back. It would fly by Earth and Mars in its 2 1/7 year orbit around the sun. It would not stop, a space taxi would be necessary to board it. The Aldrin Cycler would take less than six months to reach Mars, but then take 20 months to return to Earth. This means that there would likely be a Cycler that would go the opposite direction.

I learned a lot about space and what might happen in the near future in our quest to go to Mars. I also learned about what we need to survive in outer