Let's get past the media hype and delve into NASA's plan of getting humans to Mars by 2030. A complicated trip using technology not developed yet, seems easy! Here is the trip by the numbers (and a few facts) ...
1. Mars has no spinning core like Earth. With no core, Mars generates no magnetic field to protect it from the bombardment of radiation from space. All astronauts/colonists will die from radiation poisoning in a very short time.
2. The trip to Mars with today's technology will take 6 - 8 months. A snap for astronauts who have spent extended time on the ISS (space station). But... the ISS has leg room. The capsule taking astronauts to Mars will be the size of a small minivan. Ask any family making a cross country drive in a minivan how long they could last traveling together non-stop... 6-8 months will probably not be the figure they come up with.
1. Mars has no spinning core like Earth. With no core, Mars generates no magnetic field to protect it from the bombardment of radiation from space. All astronauts/colonists will die from radiation poisoning in a very short time.
2. The trip to Mars with today's technology will take 6 - 8 months. A snap for astronauts who have spent extended time on the ISS (space station). But... the ISS has leg room. The capsule taking astronauts to Mars will be the size of a small minivan. Ask any family making a cross country drive in a minivan how long they could last traveling together non-stop... 6-8 months will probably not be the figure they come up with.
3. There is currently no cryo/sleep technology that would allow astronauts the ability to hibernate for such a long trip.
4. Communication black outs. The further away from Earth, the less immediate contact the astronauts will have with Earth. Unless, they create a relay station. Or assemble space station (pit stops) along the way. Currently, unfeasible.
5. No contact... trouble awaits. With no instructions from NASA, the astronauts will have to rely on themselves and their on board computers. Imagine dealing with a check engine light while a car is in operation. Pulling over to fix a bad operating system seems not an option.
6. Radiation bombardment while traveling in space on such a long trip will inevitably catch up with the astronauts. No emergency doctor house calls in space. How long will it take to recover once they land on Mars?
7. 3D Printer will do it all. From creating meals (some doughy concoction flavored to fool the taste buds) to creating tools... the astronauts general store will be the 3D printers sent on the trip. The service life and variety of duties asked of these machines have yet to be fully determined.
6. Radiation bombardment while traveling in space on such a long trip will inevitably catch up with the astronauts. No emergency doctor house calls in space. How long will it take to recover once they land on Mars?
7. 3D Printer will do it all. From creating meals (some doughy concoction flavored to fool the taste buds) to creating tools... the astronauts general store will be the 3D printers sent on the trip. The service life and variety of duties asked of these machines have yet to be fully determined.
8. Landing a vehicle with humans on Mars... not yet. There is no definitive system that can safely land a space capsule on Mars. After a 6 month trek, it would be devastating to lose the craft on landing. Landing a craft on Mars will have no room for error.. and with lack of communication from Earth even more difficult.
9. Living pods/modules... supplies.... support must be sent to the Mars landing site ahead of the capsule carrying the astronauts. The loss of any craft carrying support and supplies will delay the mission. Again, delivering the payload on such a scale has never been attempted. We are basically sending storage/work/living units on a 7 month journey, to a hostile unforgiving environment... and land them intact. The fishbowl has arrived!
10. There are no trees. This is no desert. Mars is a desolate planet. There are no resources. Even the most creative thinking survivalist will fail on this trek. You can't build a fire for warmth... because you can't build a fire. And even if the ice on Mars can be converted to water, what water treatment technology must accompany the support supplies? Since everything to keep these people alive must come from Earth... what are the basics that must come along? Including power generators, living quarters and storage units. And where will all the trash go?
11. Setting up a base... is like setting up a fish tank. The astronauts will have to live contained in a space (and space gear) designed to constantly protect them.. and not break down. There have been tests on such habitats in deserts and desolate places on Earth... but why aren't these tested at the bottom of the ocean... a place where a hole (or breakdown) in the habitat would put you in the same danger as being in radiated space?
12. The trip to Mars seems a one way trip. The Earth and Mars would have to align to make the travel time in space more optimal. That seems to be every 1½ years or so. If the astronauts do land on Mars... at a minimum they would have to wait a year or so for the return trek. Feasible? Not yet!
13. Lucky #13. So.. Martian colonists do survive and flourish. What makes us think that in 20, 30, 40 years these people will not create a conflict and come back to Earth to start war with humankind? Martian babies!
A child born on Mars will weigh significantly less than their human counterpart. Returning to Earth, the Martian born will weigh 3-6x their normal weight. 150 lb Martian man = 450 lb Martian Man on Earth! Seems like an easy fight. But they would probably bombard us with a virus, nuke or some Martian produced, reality TV show re-run! Oh, the humanity!
A child born on Mars will weigh significantly less than their human counterpart. Returning to Earth, the Martian born will weigh 3-6x their normal weight. 150 lb Martian man = 450 lb Martian Man on Earth! Seems like an easy fight. But they would probably bombard us with a virus, nuke or some Martian produced, reality TV show re-run! Oh, the humanity!
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