Mars Colonization

Over the course of human history, humans have discovered and solved many problems and have advanced to make our lives longer and more comfortable.

Introduction

So far, there has been little that we cannot overcome, however, if by some catastrophic event Earth becomes uninhabitable, we would need some sort of backup plan. This is just one of the reasons for the colonization of Mars. A grueling travel time, a lack of immediately available resources and extreme conditions block our way to the red planet.

Almost every characteristic of Mars could easily be deadly to humans, however, with the right budget and some ingenuity, scientist believe that colonization is possible. Still, there remains the question, would time would be better spent on problems on Earth?

Supporting Evidence 1

One of the first challenges that scientists face is the process of actually transporting people and necessary resources to Mars. Right now, there is little to no immediately available resources on Mars, so travellers would have to bring all the necessary resources along with them.

For this issue, there are two different solutions, one proposed by NASA and another proposed by SpaceX. NASA’s plan is centered around a six man crew with a wide range of abilities that will be required for the mission. Each crew member will be assigned to specific tasks that best fit these abilities. Supplies will be sent ahead and will land on Mars before the crew before they even enter Mars’s orbit. The crew will have to be almost entirely self-sufficient and all water and air will have to be recycled.

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NASA’s scientist are still researching ways to grow food on Mars or on the ship during the 180 day voyage. (“NASA Explains How Humans Would Get To Mars”) The plan developed by SpaceX, however, is more expensive. This plan involves a large fleet of ships that will carry hundreds of people. Although there will be more people, they will also need more resources and will most likely need a constant stream of new supplies. However, to save resources, each ship and the rockets that bring them out of the atmosphere will be reused multiple times. (“Elon Musk: Mars Colonization”) Over time, we will learn more about Mars and which method will be the best to colonize Mars.

Supporting Evidence 2

The next obstacle in the path to Mars is the lack of immediate resources on Mars. Although there are resources that we can get from Mars, many of them would have to be excavated or refined to make them useful. For example, the minerals which cover Mars’s surface can be used to make concrete and it is possible that precious metals could be found underground, but this would take precious time and resources. Additionally, the atmosphere of mars has very little oxygen meaning that the colonist would have to either make more oxygen or constantly recycle it. (“How Can We Get To Mars”) Additionally, since the price tag of sending things at least 54.6 million miles is immense, colonist will have to grow their own food. Plants would have to be grown in sealed and pressurized greenhouses protected from the irradiated atmosphere of Mars. Thankfully, however, NASA has found that Martian soil contains the minerals required by plants and could be used to grow food. It would have to be cleansed of radiation and supplemented with the necessary bacteria for the growth of crops. “Keep in mind the Martian soil isn’t like the soil on Earth. It lacks organics “[the] rotting biological materials that plants need.” (“Could We Live On Mars?”) To grow plants on Mars, we would also need an atmosphere of carbon-dioxide for the plants to photosynthesis. Thankfully, Co2 is a main component of Mars’s atmosphere and could be pumped directly into the greenhouses and could even be used to pressurize the area. This would allow the colonists to work using small, compact facemasks instead of full suits allowing for much more comfort and precision. (“Could We Live On Mars?”) Although we still have a long time until we can successfully grow crops on Mars, there is a large amount of evidence that it is possible.

Supporting Evidence 3

Finally, last but definitely not least, is the act of creating an entirely new infrastructure for the basis of the colony. To start, on Mars, all colonist would have to have a clean, sealed, and pressurized habitat. Concepts for these habitats have a wide range of variety. Some of these concepts include large, rounded towers that would house multiple people while others depict large “towns” of smaller habitats. One of the most developed concepts comes from SpaceX and shows a large colony containing living and storage areas as well as greenhouses for growing crops. These rooms would be interconnected to allow access without leaving the protection of the base and would most likely be used for multiple purposes for the best use of space. ( “The Science Behind the Show” ) Additionally, colonists would have to wear bulky spacesuits to avoid being exposed to lethal radiation and extremely low temperature. ( “Could Humans Live on Mars?”) Colonists would also need a way to traverse the planet to conduct experiments which has lead to the creation of multiple concepts for Mars vehicles. NASA recently brought one of these concepts to life when they drove their concept Mars rover, “The Intrepid” to be displayed at “The Space and Science Festival” in August of last year. ( “ NASA’s Concept Rover” ) With all of these concepts and models, we at least have a small idea of what a Mars colony could look like in the following years.

Counter-Argument

Of course for any argument, there is always a counter-argument. One of the biggest arguments against Mars colonization is that there are simply bigger problems or better solutions. One problem that is presented is the prospect that if humans landed on Mars, Earthly bacteria would be entered into the soil and could confuse the search for life on Mars. Additionally, it is unknown how Earthly bacteria will interact with the Martian environment and could even damage and life that is present on Mars. Another argument is that it is too much of a risk to send human life to Mars at all, and that Robots and automation are a better alternative to the research on Mars. In Cosmos, Carl Sagan wrote, “If there is life on Mars, I believe we should do nothing with Mars. Mars then belongs to the Martians, even if the Martians are only microbes … the preservation of that life must, I think, supersede any other possible use of Mars.” ( “The Case Against Mars Colonization” ) While these arguments are valid, they still miss one key point, that one of the main goals of colonization of Mars is the conservation of human life in the case that Earth becomes uninhabitable. With the possibility of this happening slowly growing over time, it may be necessary to sacrifice micro-organisms that could be found on Mars to save the life that is currently only found on Earth. ( “The Case Against Mars Colonization” )

Conclusion

In conclusion, the colonization of Mars is possible, and it could be necessary for the preservation of life present on Earth. There are many challenges that we will have to overcome on our path to Mars including the massive task of transporting resources, the lack of available resources on Mars, and the necessity to build an entirely new infrastructure for the colony. Additionally, there are some that believe that the colonization is a waste of time and money and effort would be better spent on problems on Earth. The problem is, if we followed this route, there would be almost no turning back, we will have to make a choice, and soon. Before Steven Hawkings death, he predicted that humans only have one-hundred years left on Earth with all of the problems that are presently known. ( “The Case Against Mars Colonization” ) Without action in either direction, life as we know it could drastically change. It is for the next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and more to make this choice. Of course this is one of the most drastic scenarios, global warming could reverse naturally and climate change could stop, but without preparation for this terrible possibility, the humans that are responsible for the extinction of so many species could become extinct themselves.