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Many people here on Earth are waiting for the news that NASA has discovered life on Mars or any other planet within reach. What we should anticipate is the news that humans have delivered life to a barren planet like Mars!
Science Fiction tells us that we could terraform entire planets to create a lush, balanced ecosystem similar to Earth. Common sense tells us that would require an excessive amount of resources. Science tells us we should bring a little heat and bacteria .
First Warm the Planet
Are we even capable of raising the temperature of massive planets or moons? Some scientist believe we could slightly raise the temperature on a planet like Mars using hydrogen bombs or nuclear technology. This will cause the abundant Carbon Dioxide under the surface to be released, and "self heat" the planet further. This heat would also melt polar ice caps and release water need for many potential organisms in the future. This is explained in a video by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku:
Then Bring the Bacteria
After we raise the temperature and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, photosynthetic bacteria that can survive the harsh conditions of space may be able to support planetary exploration missions that extract minerals from rocks or recycle waste. Hopefully supporting permanent Moon or Mars bases that operate self-sufficiently.
Either we succeed / or this is fiction. Do you think we can establish self sustaining bases on the Moon or Mars, or is this science fiction we will not see in our lifetime?
Tuesday Oct-23-2012
The Moon ain't what it used to be. People gush about asteroids, Mars, Jovian moons, exoplanets...but it feels like if you bring up the Moon, you mostly just get either a blank or a 'meh'. When ...
Today is Astronomy Day, and one of the best ways to celebrate is by going out and doing some stargazing. And one of the best ways to get started with stargazing is to use the Moon as a guide and ...
The mission of the Kepler Project is to discover habitable planets orbiting other stars. However, many of these planets are light years away and unreachable by humans with our current technology. So ...
Sorry for the late post everyone, has been a very busy week. But as for the topic of the week, I plan on talking about the exploration of the Moon, mainly the history and the alll of the lunar ...
The recent meteor explosion over Chelyabinsk, Russia helped bring to light a very real problem. We do not have adequate ways to detect many of the damage causing asteroids impacting the ...
I agree with Dennis - great post! As far as your parting questions:
Yes, I do think that we CAN establish self-sustaining bases on the Moon or Mars (someday), but WILL we?
Given that we have the vision, determination, and fortitude, I like to think that anything is possible. As far as this occurring in our lifetime, I'm not so sure. Just think how many of people believed that we would be traveling by jetpack or flying car by now (here on Earth). Dennis' movie reference also reminds me of all of the "science fiction" of the past that is now very much reality. Ultimately, I think it will take a much greater unified purpose and fortitude among our society to accomplish this... not an easy sell at the moment, but I remain hopeful!
There's some big folks excited about Mars (Elon Musk has said he eventually wants to die there---of old age, of course), so big Mars projects could happen sooner than a lot of people think.
I'm a Moon guy, and I don't think we'll see a terraformed Moon, exactly---but someday perhaps we'll be walking in greenhoused lunar gardens :)
COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
Dennis M J M.
Tuesday Oct-23-2012
in the movie MISSION TO MARS don cheadels character is stranded on the red planet, he sets up a heat trapping tent and some plants and is able to breathe on the surface without a helmet. That always reminds me of the old thing where they put a plant in a jar... it dies, they put a mouse in a jar.. it dies. They put them both in a big jar, both live.
I agree with you, and there have been other articles lately talking about us contaminating a barren world with our own forms of life. I think we're more likely to see city lights on the dark side of a planet before we find living organisms on a dustbowl like mars, but it sure seems to have had some liquid on its surface at some point... so all these mysteries will hopefully wait for a few people to get there before they are all solved. Either way this is a great post :)