Terraforming Mars

[zyzygy]

Will mankind ever terraform Mars? It is impossible with our current technology but in the future it may be possible.

 

[spud_meister]

Mars can't hold its own atmosphere, we'd need a way to constantly manufacture an atmosphere. Enclosed habitats would probably be an easier way to colonise it.

 

[Bum]

Will mankind ever terraform Mars? It is impossible with our current technology but in the future it may be possible.

I would think that unless terraforming includes creating an actual magnetosphere, any effort in that direction would be wasted.

 

[HonestJoe]

Will mankind ever terraform Mars? It is impossible with our current technology but in the future it may be possible.

I very much doubt it, especially not if you’re thinking of the science fiction image of effectively creating a copy of Earth, with a breathable atmosphere, forests, rivers and a general self-sufficient environment. I don’t see any level of technology making that possible.

Some smaller level changes could be viable, such as artificially raising the temperature to melt some of the ice for liquid water or some of the ideas about influencing the solar radiation hitting the planet but that’s going to be practically limited in scale and scope.

The other question would be even if we could do it, should we do it. I’d expect some extensive political and public push back against any project to significantly alter the environment of another planet, especially given there would be limited practical gains for doing so. The cost of any such project would likely be an issue too.

 

[zyzygy]

Mars can't hold its own atmosphere, we'd need a way to constantly manufacture an atmosphere. Enclosed habitats would probably be an easier way to colonise it.

I think that you are right.

 

[Quag]

I think they should terraform Uranus then we can send all the people we dont like (you know what I mean) there with poetic justice

 

[PoS]

Terraform Mars? We havent even gotten a manned mission over there yet.

 

[Xelor]

Will mankind ever terraform Mars? It is impossible with our current technology but in the future it may be possible.

Holy "cart before the horse," Batman!

Though it's so that we cannot yet terraform Mars, I doubt that whether we do or don't will have much to do with technology. There are things that are possible with our current technology and we don't implement those actions.

Then there is the matter that there may be little point to terraforming Mars if we don't first overcome the consequences of Mars and space's lower gravity than Earth's.

• Gravity and the Human Body
• Human Pathophysiological Adaptations to the Space Environment
• The Human Body in Space
• Gravity sensing, a largely misunderstood trigger of plant orientated growth
• Plant Growth and Morphogenesis under Different Gravity Conditions: Relevance to Plant Life in Space

 

[DaveFagan]

Mars can't hold its own atmosphere, we'd need a way to constantly manufacture an atmosphere. Enclosed habitats would probably be an easier way to colonise it.

As long as Mars has gravity, it should be able to maintain an atmosphere. It had oceans in the past, ergo it must have had an atmosphere.
/

 

[PoS]

As long as Mars has gravity, it should be able to maintain an atmosphere. It had oceans in the past, ergo it must have had an atmosphere.
/

Mars does have an atmosphere, but a very thin one. The solar wind regularly scrapes off gasses from its ionosphere because its lacks a magnetosphere, so its gradually losing it.

Mars gravity is about a third of Earth's.

 

[DaveFagan]

Mars does have an atmosphere, but a very thin one. The solar wind regularly scrapes off gasses from its ionosphere because its lacks a magnetosphere, so its gradually losing it.

Mars gravity is about a third of Earth's.

Thanks. I didn't know that.
/

 

[WCH]

Doing to Mars what some claim is destroying the Earth? Maybe figure out how our own planet works before messing with another?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming_of_Mars

 

[Ikari]

Will mankind ever terraform Mars? It is impossible with our current technology but in the future it may be possible.

We should terraform Venus. It already has an atmosphere. A deadly deadly atmosphere, but it has one. We just gotta fix it.

 

[Bum]

As long as Mars has gravity, it should be able to maintain an atmosphere. It had oceans in the past, ergo it must have had an atmosphere.
/

The atmospheric pressure is too far below the Armstrong limit....without a magnetosphere to act as a shield, any significant atmosphere will continue to be blown away by solar winds, as well as allow dangerous levels of cosmic radiation to saturate the planets surface.

planets having active hot iron and nickel or metallic cores, whose motion generated a planetary magnetic field create a magnetosphere....mars does not have such a core, rather it is composed primarily of cooler iron, nickel and sulfur. This core is surrounded by a silicate mantle which now appears to be dormant.
In essence, it has a "dead heat engine".

 

[Bum]

We should terraform Venus. It already has an atmosphere. A deadly deadly atmosphere, but it has one. We just gotta fix it.

The atmosphere isn't so much the issue as it is the atmospheric pressure....the pressure is 93 bar (9.3 MPa), about the same as being 1 Kilometer beneath the ocean....although the gravity is close to earths.

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

Will mankind ever terraform Mars? It is impossible with our current technology but in the future it may be possible.

Ever is a very longtime, so sure we will eventually some millennium in the future (if our species lives that long).

 

[zyzygy]

Ever is a very longtime, so sure we will eventually some millennium in the future (if our species lives that long).

According to some aliens visit us because they have developed faster than light travel. If we ever get that far then terraforming a planet will be child's play.

 

[American]

Mars can't hold its own atmosphere, we'd need a way to constantly manufacture an atmosphere. Enclosed habitats would probably be an easier way to colonise it.

 

[blarg]

Will mankind ever terraform Mars? It is impossible with our current technology but in the future it may be possible.

be better to build domes or underground habitats then maybe mine anything useful for habitats in space after we have learned everything about the pales historys at lest if we don't find any surviving life

more materials and living space that way

 

[Exquisitor]

Mars can't hold its own atmosphere, we'd need a way to constantly manufacture an atmosphere. Enclosed habitats would probably be an easier way to colonise it.

It takes millions of years for significant atmosphere to blow away.

I have some devices in my space novels, but creating a magnetosphere is the most difficult; requiring the most energy and furthest stretch of the imagination.

Device one is a space station between Mars and the Sun that creates a magnetic disk that filters out harmful radiation; magnifies or dims radiation and cuts solar wind.

Another device has a station at each pole and creates a magnetosphere.

Sometimes, like with Venus, rotation is required.

A convenient device converts rock into water oxygen, nitrogen and CO2 and produces thrust and you just mount them in the mountains.

About should be doing this; if you cared about what we shouldn't be doing we would keep our feet off the moon and not plunder it and not contaminate the dust on Mars.

 

[poweRob]

The problem with terraforming is they mostly come out at night... mostly.

 

[rhinefire]

Life on Mars is documented already. One thing they will do after spreading algae to grow they later will deliberately pollute the atmosphere to hold in the atmosphere. Read the book by Michio Kaku, "Physics Of The Future". Every page is a mind blower trust me. It is a long way off but the plans are on paper so to speak.

 

[zyzygy]

Life on Mars is documented already. One thing they will do after spreading algae to grow they later will deliberately pollute the atmosphere to hold in the atmosphere. Read the book by Michio Kaku, "Physics Of The Future". Every page is a mind blower trust me. It is a long way off but the plans are on paper so to speak.

I ordered it from Amazon. Thanks for the tip.

 

[PoS]

I ordered it from Amazon. Thanks for the tip.

You can order John Triptych's "the Piranha Solution" on Amazon too. It details a fully functioning Mars colony in the near future. :mrgreen:

 

[zyzygy]

You can order John Triptych's "the Piranha Solution" on Amazon too. It details a fully functioning Mars colony in the near future. :mrgreen:

I'll see you and Ploughboy there! The drinks are on me, pan galactic gargle blasters.