Could humans colonize Mars? The science behind interplanetary living....
The aspiration of mankind to make a landing on Mars has been the dream of scientists, writers and dreamers over decades, but with the recent technological advances, the dream seemed to become a reality.
Mars, the so-called Red Planet is no mere dusty neighbour in our solar system, but a planet of extremes, mystery and possibilities, which puts all the assumptions we have made about survival to the test. Mars with its rusty deserts, giant volcanoes, and icy polar caps, is not like anything on Earth, but it has been the goal of some of the most ambitious plans made by humanity.
In contrast to our home planet, the atmosphere on Mars is very thin and is almost fully composed of carbon dioxide, which does not provide much protection against the harsh radiation of the space. The surface temperature of the planet varies erratically, usually reaching as low as a chilling minus 125 degrees Celsius at the poles, and the gravity is only some 38 per cent that of the Earth, which poses difficult questions about the physiology of man over prolonged periods.
People would not simply need to be brave to live on the Martian planet but they would need places where they could shelter themselves against the harsh weather, radiations, and the vacuum of space, mechanism that could supply them with oxygen, water, and food over years. It is a challenge to develop a sustainable human habitation on Mars and solutions needed are as innovative as viable.
Scientists are also looking at how they can use the soil of Mars itself to grow crops, a process called in-situ resource utilization, thereby saving people the giant forever of transporting food back to the planet. There is a possibility of advanced hydroponics and aeroponics on board, where the astronauts would grow vegetables inside the ship, and recycling systems which would recycle and purify water in the atmosphere, human waste, and even underground ice.
The other important roadblock is energy generation; the solar panels may capture the sunlight that falls to the earth, and small nuclear reactors may be able to supply constant reliable energy, particularly when dust storms can cover the sun for days. The construction of habitats is also being reconsidered – scientists are considering 3D printing techniques which will take Martian regolith and use it to create defensive walls, eliminating the necessity of hauling heavy construction materials millions of kilometers through space.
It is not all about the physical dilemmas of life on Mars. Human mind is so flexible, yet the psychological burden of staying alone, in closed areas, and having no chance to go or do something is huge. The astronauts would spend months or even years separated from Earth, and delays in communication were as much as 20 minutes in each direction, and the astronauts could not have a real-time conversation. Not only would it take the destructive mental training, but it would also take mechanisms facilitating socialization, recreation, and mental health to cope with loneliness, monotony and stress of such a foreign world.
The mere fact of abandoning the planet makes humanity deal with the fundamental questions of our stamina, our ability to create a team and our ability to live in the places that are completely foreign to our biology and experience.
However, with the giant challenges, the pre-conditions of the human life in Mars are gradually being established. The planet has been explored by robot missions over decades mapping its surface, researching its geology and locating possible water resources. Missionary spacecrafts such as the Perseverance are experimenting on life-supporting technologies, including the ability to extract oxygen using the carbon dioxide-laden air, and soil analysis to assess the availability of nutrients to feed the planet.
Companies, such as SpaceX, are already plotting missions whose express aim is to put human beings on Mars, as national space agencies are working together on long-term plans of sustainable Mars colonization. The interest in Mars is not only exploration but also about life and death, about being innovative, and about the great human need to open up the boundaries of our life.
There is no easy way of colonizing Mars; it is a task that demands the limits of science, technology, and human strength. It makes us rethink on what life is and to what extent we are ready to go to keep it.
However, the dream is real and it is informed by scientific inquisitiveness, human ingenuity, and the unstoppable urge to explore on the outside world. Mars is a cruel, unsparing planet, and it is also a blank slate on which we can draw human ingenuity- where we can survive, but not individually, but only by joining together, preparing and enduring.
Life on Mars is difficult, even frightening, but it is, perhaps, the final adventure in human history: a challenge to our adaptability, our boldness and our ability to make imagination a reality. Setting foot on the Red Planet is not just a scientific milestone, it is a statement that man can survive even under the most extraordinary and extreme conditions and redefine what it is to be alive, to explore, to survive.
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