We're Going to Land on Mars Again

[Shaggy]

Cohagen... GIVE THE PEOPLE AIR!

Ha ha.

 

[BigRedRage]

I know its science fiction but Total Recall's ending when they successfully create an atmosphere, do you think it could really happen? They just said they could take the CO2 there and now have made oxygen from it, what's to stop them in the far future to create an atmosphere some how there?

With our current tech, an indoor atmosphere is totally doable.

 

[puckhead]

I know its science fiction but Total Recall's ending when they successfully create an atmosphere, do you think it could really happen? They just said they could take the CO2 there and now have made oxygen from it, what's to stop them in the far future to create an atmosphere some how there?

There has been quite a bit of research into the terraforming of Mars. There are many challenges in doing so, but of all the planets in the solar system, it's likely our best bet.

It's believed that Mars may have had an atmosphere similar to Earth's at some point in history but lost it from a combination of reasons.

We could try introducing greenhouse gasses to the planet in great quantities to accomplish what we're, kind of, trying to avoid on Earth to warm that sucker up. Then possibly add in some plants that could breath in all that CO2 and expel O2 for mammals like us.

There's a lot of complications in there, but it's certainly not completely out of the realm of possibility.

Some of the big hurdles:

Low gravity
No magnetic field
Low light levels
Cold
No food

On a 'just because we can, should we' level, what if we find some microscopic life there? Is it our right to come in and make things our way and deny that life a chance to thrive on its own without interference? How many things has man destroyed because it is convenient for man at the time? So, there's some ethical considerations on top of the scientific ones.

 

[cardncubfan]

There has been quite a bit of research into the terraforming of Mars. There are many challenges in doing so, but of all the planets in the solar system, it's likely our best bet.

It's believed that Mars may have had an atmosphere similar to Earth's at some point in history but lost it from a combination of reasons.

We could try introducing greenhouse gasses to the planet in great quantities to accomplish what we're, kind of, trying to avoid on Earth to warm that sucker up. Then possibly add in some plants that could breath in all that CO2 and expel O2 for mammals like us.

There's a lot of complications in there, but it's certainly not completely out of the realm of possibility.

Some of the big hurdles:

Low gravity
No magnetic field
Low light levels
Cold
No food

On a 'just because we can, should we' level, what if we find some microscopic life there? Is it our right to come in and make things our way and deny that life a chance to thrive on its own without interference? How many things has man destroyed because it is convenient for man at the time? So, there's some ethical considerations on top of the scientific ones.

It could also destroy man.

 

[puckhead]

It could also destroy man.

Like bringing a deadly parasite/microbe or something back to Earth?

 

[puckhead]

NASA's little helicopter on Mars has logged its last flight

NASA says its little Mars helicopter has flown its last flight. The space agency announced Thursday that the 4-pound chopper named Ingenuity can no longer fly because of rotor blade damage, and its mission is officially over.

apnews.com

That little guy went above and beyond in more ways than one!