Valuable new information on future Mars explorers and the people who love them. Yes, it’s important to look before we leap onto the red planet. Determining the safest Mars caves for future astronauts is part of the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference and yes, they’re serious. Here’s why:
Mars has no ozone layer! Did you know that? ‘Cosmic and solar radiation rains down on to the Martian surface daily is due to the lack of protective ozone layer and magnetic field that exists on Earth and helps deflect this deadly radiation from reaching our surface, enabling life to exist here for billions of years.’ Earth 1, Mars 0. There’s no layer of protective atmosphere and thus, we’re down to living in caves and naturally-carved tunnels to protect themselves from the nasty effects of UV.
Now this solution creates its own problems – so don’t look at it to solve everything. “[A] certain drawback will be the need to organize the delivery of water ice to provide the settlers with water resources and raw materials for extracting the much-needed oxygen and hydrogen fuel for rocket engines.” You guessed it, the weight of the fuel to reach Mars will factor into the size of the rocket needed to get there. Bigger rocket, more fuel – less fuel by creating fuel on Mars? Uh … maybe.
I know Elon Musk loves to say things like ‘Mars it’s a fixer-upper of a planet,’ but give me a break. We require no lectures from a ketamine addict for the possibilities of life on other planets.
I’ve visited this topic before – Mars colonization raises questions and challenges far beyond the logistics of getting there. Life on Mars won’t be easy. I’m not saying ‘don’t go,’ I’m saying:
- If you’re thinking about going to Mars, and yes it might happen in our lifetimes, you should know what you’re getting yourself into.
- By thinking of these problems now, you can be prepared to manage and even solve those problems once we get there! You might even invent a new food on Mars, a new medical procedure, or a new tool that makes life easier for everyone.
So, forewarned is forearmed – be aware of the challenges and think through the potential solutions. If you crack the code to life on Mars, you might be first in line for a ticket.
