The Colonization of Mars

Government agencies and private companies have conducted missions involving Mars since the 20^th century. However, colonization of Mars has not been the main aim of many of these missions. Instead, various high-budget programs such as those carried out by NASA, Roscosmos, and ESA have had a common objective: to study Mars to gather relevant information that can be used for future expeditions.

‘Colonization of Mars’ seems like a far-fetched idea. However, for humans to colonize mars, we need permanent residency, infrastructure, and communication systems on Mars and Earth. We also need habitats on Mars that can sustain life, have the potential to expand, and be self-sustainable in all possible ways.

There are several concepts to colonize of mars. Two possible models for establishing Mars habitats are the “Mars to Stay” and the “direct model” model, which Robert Zubrin advanced. The direct model is a proposed human mission to Mars that Mr. Zubrin claims is the most cost-effective given our technology.

One company pushing for the colonization of Mars is Space X, which proposed developing a viable infrastructural system that will help ferry people to and from Mars. The plan includes mobilizing fully reusable vehicles, special spacecraft, and orbit propellant tankers.

There are eight known planets and four dwarf planets in our solar system and millions of other extraterrestrial objects. However, nothing compares to Mars because it has unique features similar to those on Earth.

Some similarities between Mars and Earth:

While a day on Earth runs for 24 hours, a Martian day exceeds that by just 39 minutes and 35.244 seconds. This is as close as it can get, given that other planets like Venus take nearly 5,832 hours for a full day to be complete, while a day on Jupiter lasts for only 10 hours.

Another similarity is size. Mars has a surface that is only 28.4% short of the Earth’s total surface. The estimate is that the total land surface on Mars is 29.2 % short of the Earth’s total land, making it almost like Earth in total sq Kilometers.

Several issues need to be addressed before Mars can be declared a safe home for human beings. First, Mars has very low gravity; studies have implied that low gravity causes muscle loss and bone demineralization. Another factor that limits human survival on Mars is the fact that there is very low atmospheric pressure on Mars. The low atmospheric pressure makes survival impossible without a special pressure suit. Also, homes on Mars will have to be built with special materials similar to those found in spacecraft to withstand that low atmospheric pressure.

 Mars has a very thin atmosphere that cannot filter ultraviolet sunlight, which is dangerous to humans. That and the fact that the entire atmosphere is made up of hazardous carbon monoxide and ammonia gases makes Mars almost inhabitable.

Equipment needed to facilitate colonization

Essential utilities include oxygen, power (Electricity), communication, waste disposal, and water. For communication, well-established satellites can provide information between Mars and Earth.

There is plenty of sunshine on Mars; if electricity is harnessed from the sun, storage is needed to ensure an efficient energy supply, especially when dust storms block the atmosphere.

The costs of colonization of Mars

The cost is what has kept countries from attempting to colonize Mars. That’s where private companies like Elon Musk’s Space X come in. Elon Musk estimated it would cost at least $10 trillion to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. However, the cost is likely to reduce in the near future.

Conclusion

Humanity can become a multi-planetary species within the next 40-50 years. However, is it the proper use of resources and money? We need to overcome challenges, and the cost is high. There will always be people against exploring space especially given the price tag. However, due to scientific advances, Mars might be the next home to humankind.  Do you think the Colonization of Mars is worth the investment?

References

1.Von Drehle, David (December 15, 2020). “Humans don’t have to set foot on Mars to visit it.” The Washington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2020.

2.Zubrin, Robert (1996). The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must. Touchstone. ISBN 978-0-684-83550-1.

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5. Badescu, Viorel (2009). Mars: Prospective Energy and Material Resources (illustrated ed.). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 600. ISBN 978-3-642-03629-3. Extract of page 600
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