Author Topic: Preparatory work for future space colonization  (Read 10339 times)

Offline aquanaut99

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Preparatory work for future space colonization
« on: 07/06/2010 11:17 am »
I decided to start this thread after thinking about the difficulties of colonizing Mars, which, I believe, will not be possible for at least another few centuries. By colonizing, I mean the establishement of a permanent, autonomous settlement that would exist independantly from Earth and would grow mainly (or even exclusively) by reproduction of the colonists. It would have to be able to survive alone, even if, say, Earth were totally destroyed, and it has to have a sufficiently large genetic pool of humanity that it would allow for species survival in this case. Anything short of this is not colonization as I understand it, for colonization of space can have only one goal: to become a multi-planet species and thereby reduce measurably the risk of a single ELE (extinction-level-event) wiping us all out.

It is quite obvious this is centuries away since the difficulties are several orders of magnitude greater than just landing on Mars, for example. To ensure a genetically viable pool, we would need several tens of thousands of humans, full ISRU and closed-cycle life system lasting centuries, and probably some kind of terraforming techniques not to mention several major breakthroughs in human medicine (like repairing tissue, bone and DNA damage due to ionizing radiation and low gravity, as well as human reproduction beyond Earth)

Considering the size of the challenges to overcome, it would be clever to start working on at least some of them now, even though the expected benifits/spin-offs lie centuries in the future. Yes, I know, this goes against everything that humans do (thinking short-term).

I would like to suggest a few things that could be done here on Earth in the next 50 years to prepare for eventual colonization of Mars (or other extraterestrial destinations). Feel free to add/comment.
« Last Edit: 07/06/2010 11:18 am by aquanaut99 »

Offline aquanaut99

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #1 on: 07/06/2010 11:18 am »
1. Full ISRU and permanent closed-cycle living system

This absolutely needs to be mastered before we can even think about colonizing space. And we have to try it out on Earth first.
This has never been done. Experiments like Biosphere 2 were always only for short durations (and failed). Historic examples like the colonization of the Americas and Australia are meaningless, since these are obviously not closed-cycle systems.

The closest we can get to Mars on Earth is Antarctica. Unsupported human life in Antarctica is not possible (with the possible exception of a few areas along the coast and Antarctic peninsula); which is the reason (together with the Antarctic treaty) why it is the only continent on Earth not settled by humans. The bases on the continent are not self-sufficient and many are not even permanently staffed. In this sense, the situation in Antarctica is similar to what one could expect after the first phase of exploration on the Moon and Mars (maybe towards the end of this century): several independant bases, all requiring extensive and expensive support from Earth.

This makes Antarctica a natural place to test human colonization, before we set out for space.

Therefore, I propose that we start an international effort to establish a permanent human colony in Antarctica, in the middle of the continent (i.e., on top of the East Antarctic ice shield). With the following 3 objectives:

1. As a fallback/survival vault in case of Global Disaster striking the human race (similar to the Spitzbergen seed vault, but with humans instead of seeds). If the colony is completely isolated, it could concievably escape a rogue killer virus and the effects of nuclear war. With it sitting on 90% of the world's freshwater supply and at >2 miles altitude, it would also escape the worst of runaway climate change and rising sea levels and the chances of it suffering a direct hit by an asteroid are extremely remote due to the high (or low?) lattitude. Finally, isolation and 100s of miles of frozen inhospiable wastes around it would prevent the flood of refugees from Global Disaster from overwhelming the colony. Basically, this colony would be the Survivalist's dream...

2. As a testing ground for future interplanetary colonization

3. As an interesting sociologic experiment

Of course, reason no.1 is the one we would have to sell to the world. In the current slightly hysteric climate in the West about coming doom, it would even be possible to get the necessary billions for something like this, I believe. Probably from rich individuals (should we ask James Cameron maybe)? And we would get Nos. 2 and 3 as added benefit.

What do you think?
What would be required?
How should we be going about to make this happen?
« Last Edit: 07/06/2010 11:29 am by aquanaut99 »

Offline Tnarg

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #2 on: 07/06/2010 12:05 pm »
Biosphere 2 was not the way to go.  If humans where to live on mars Food and plants would have to be done with hydroponics small scale but intense preduction of food and oxygen.  A test base should be easily accessible with outside links to start with.  Somewhere like Alaska the base could be connected to the power grid (power is a problem that can be solved on its own.)  Once things have been proven we can separate parts off.  But it should be seen as a test area not a simulation.  People, tools and experiments should be allowed in and out fairly freely.

The first base on mars will have to last 2 years between surplie drops but will be depend of the surplie drops for a long time.  The aim of the test base would be to get to that level first.  4 to 6 people lasting 2 years with as little as possible.

Offline aquanaut99

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #3 on: 07/06/2010 12:08 pm »
Biosphere 2 was not the way to go.  If humans where to live on mars Food and plants would have to be done with hydroponics small scale but intense preduction of food and oxygen.  A test base should be easily accessible with outside links to start with.  Somewhere like Alaska the base could be connected to the power grid (power is a problem that can be solved on its own.)  Once things have been proven we can separate parts off.  But it should be seen as a test area not a simulation.  People, tools and experiments should be allowed in and out fairly freely.

The first base on mars will have to last 2 years between surplie drops but will be depend of the surplie drops for a long time.  The aim of the test base would be to get to that level first.  4 to 6 people lasting 2 years with as little as possible.


Oh absolutely. My propsition is nevertheless that before we can establish a colony in space, we must establish one on Earth (Antarctica). Of course we would need to do test-beds before that, with Alaska, Northern Russia or Scandinavia as good possibilities.

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #4 on: 07/06/2010 10:33 pm »
A lot of the stuff that needs to be figured out is a sort of reimagining of our modern industrial processes on a small scale.

It's really hard to determine if this will take 150 years or 500 years. Progress is not linear. In my scenario in the other thread, I picked 150 years because that's just about the edge of our imagination. Jules Verne wrote From the Earth to the Moon 145 years ago and we made good on his story only 104 years after it was written, and even then the methodology to get there was far different than he had supposed.

A little over 40 years after Apollo, our methodology to get to the Moon (if we went right now) would be so similar that some (including myself) have called it a "cargo cult" mentality.

Hundreds of years in the future from now, personal computers were to look and function like the data pad from Star Trek, but it only took us about 10 or 20 years to get there.

If you look back at early science fiction, computers of the far future were primitive machines by modern standards (although often were capable of independent intelligence). However, in many other ways, progress has been far slower.

Progress is unpredictable. An example is the Human Genome Project. It took about a decade to fully sequence a person's DNA. Now, the time for full genome sequencing is far shorter, in the range of days or hours. The human genome project was also supposed to lead to all sorts of cures, but many of its touted benefits haven't been realized.

Another thing to remember is that progress can be illusory. Genetic modification was supposed to be ground-breaking, allowing direct manipulation of genetic material in living things. However, we've been doing that for decades with advanced hybridization techniques and for millennia with selective breeding and grafting. How much better are our newer techniques? I have high hopes for genetic engineering, but this is just the newest tool in the shed, not the only tool.

We don't know the future. Suppose some new technological field comes along and is the next "computer" or "internet" or even "nuclear power." Even these ideas are rather old (most of those had origins in ideas far older... almost a hundred years ago), but that didn't mean that they don't affect society in a rather profound and new manner.
« Last Edit: 07/06/2010 10:41 pm by Robotbeat »
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Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #5 on: 07/06/2010 10:41 pm »

Anyways, there's a new trend for hobbyists to engage in small-scale manufacture of many items which traditionally take a large capital investment: http://reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page http://www.arduino.cc/ etc. These hobbyists call themselves "makers." I see this as a sort of grass-roots re-industrialization of America at the very smallest of scales. People are making their own electric cars, fuel, , food, etc. A lot of this is just re-discovering lost knowledge, whereas some of it is truly new.

I have a feeling that logistical forces will cause some industrial processes to shrink while hobbyists learn to build up to truly impressive feats. This could eventually allow a country to have a complete supply chain inside.

A Martian colony will necessarily have to reverse centuries of globalization and learn how to make and maintain everything. People are doing this just for the heck of it right now, and during times of recession and depression and high unemployment, people do it for practical reasons. If you have no money and are unemployed, you may cook (or even grow) your own food, work on your own car, fix your own computer, and do your own plumbing. Sometimes, communities pool resources and form their own micro-economies with people with a mix of skills bartering to each other, sometimes even developing their own local currency. People do this to survive, and folks on Mars are going to have to do the same thing.
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Offline robertross

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #6 on: 08/29/2010 11:49 am »
Here's some recent news on Martian Greenhouse simulations:

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/08/27/mars-greenhouse-arctic.html

main program link: http://www.marsonearth.org/

Offline JohnFornaro

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #7 on: 08/29/2010 03:03 pm »
RobotBeat:  Thanks for those two interesting links.  Tooting own horn:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=17652.msg428814#msg428814
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Offline SpacexULA

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #8 on: 08/29/2010 03:24 pm »
Anyways, there's a new trend for hobbyists to engage in small-scale manufacture of many items which traditionally take a large capital investment: http://reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page http://www.arduino.cc/ etc. These hobbyists call themselves "makers."

My "second job" is RepRap, I make around $400-$600 a weeks running my Open source desktop printers.  At any given time I have 1 Darwin, 1 Mendel, and 1 Makerbot all printing Mendels and extruders off full blast.

I think that the RepRap technology will continue to progress till it starts approaching commercial grade fabrication levels some time by the end of the decade.

We can print in Ceramic: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3604
We can print in Nylon, ABS, PLA, HDPE, & Polyporph.
We are even starting to print in metal: http://reprap.org/wiki/SpoolHead
We can print Circuit boards: http://ultimachine.com/content/printing-circuit-boards-mendel
We can print 3d Scanners: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1491

All of this just 3 years into the project, and most of the intersting stuff has came about in the last year.

I can't help but think that a good portion of the non precision, & non IC replacement parts for a long term misison to another planet are going to assume "printing" on site.  If the toilet handle or Buckle Clip breaks on Mars, they are not going to have extras, they will "print" them in about 10 minutes. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1416.  Hopefully we will never have to repeat the Apollo 13 fab a filter in space experiment again.
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Offline scienceguy

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #9 on: 08/29/2010 04:06 pm »
Isn't the main reason Biosphere 2 failed that they had to import oxygen? Couldn't you just solve this on Mars by using solar power to split water? You could import all the oxygen you need then.
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Offline pathfinder_01

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #10 on: 08/29/2010 06:41 pm »
Isn't the main reason Biosphere 2 failed that they had to import oxygen? Couldn't you just solve this on Mars by using solar power to split water? You could import all the oxygen you need then.

ISRU and closed loop go hand in hand. Closed loop reduces your needs for inputs and ISRU allows you to bring them in as needed.  It is a good back up for each other. Closed loop buys you time to fix your ISRU and ISRU reduces the probability that a failure of the closed loop life support will be fatal.

Anyway the full reason why it failed was because biological systems although more efficient than mechanical systems are more complex. The oxygen was just a sign. In other words splitting water via mechanical means will  be a smart bet for the forseeable future.

Anyway the lesson from biosphere 2 are that full up testing is important(meaning test the whole thing at full scale not just  parts of it).
 The reason why they needed to import oxygen is because of poor plant growth due to:

1. Lack of light. The windows didn’t let enough in. Without light plants can’t break water to produce oxygen .

2. Lack of co2. The concrete in the place absorbed the co2 which is not a good thing. Without co2 plants can’t grow.

Additionally,  they thought enriching the soil with organic material would help plant growth, instead the plants were unable to use the enriched soil and the bacteria in the soil ate the organic material using up the oxygen in the process.

As one of the participant stated “The system was seeking a balance alright, one that didn’t include them.”

In terms of food production they found it more labor intensive than planned(one suggested improvement was automation via a tractor ). Another lesson learned is that you are going to need some way to handle pests that attack your crops(I.e. You need a way to sterilize what ever medium the plants are growing in).

Offline KelvinZero

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #11 on: 08/30/2010 08:33 am »
Isn't the main reason Biosphere 2 failed that they had to import oxygen? Couldn't you just solve this on Mars by using solar power to split water? You could import all the oxygen you need then.

I heard it was the drying concrete that absorbed the oxygen, just a silly detail they missed.

http://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/bio3/2000projects/carroll_d_walker_e/whatwentwrong.html

It is funny how the biosphere 2 cautionary tale has taken on a life of its own. Just as people are practically programmed to say "Couldn't we use this money to solve problems on earth" when ever anyone brings up space (but they never say this about, for example, the money wasted on overeating), people are also programmed to say "But what about biosphere 2" when you push this technology as a good idea to develop. What are they thinking? Biosphere 2 proved it is beyond our abilities? Biopsphere 2 demonstrated the question is unimportant?

Offline Celebrimbor

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #12 on: 08/30/2010 09:02 am »
My opinion is that pretty much any scientific/engineering work on anything is a contribution to such a far-off goal as colonising Mars...
« Last Edit: 08/30/2010 09:05 am by Celebrimbor »

Offline JohnFornaro

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #13 on: 08/30/2010 02:53 pm »
...Lack of co2...

Not a problem on Mars, at least.  Too much fixation on closed loop as perhaps the goal.  On the Moon, for example, ya need carbon.  Just ship it up there in the meantime and keep aiming for closed loop.  Don't let it be the be-all and end-all.  Just sayin'.

An early load for the Moon?  Some fall, fill up a pressurized rocket container with leaves.  Whatever bacteria, critters, etc. are in it, dump 'em all in the compost heap at the outpost.  Start yer vegatable garden.

Quote
you are going to need some way to handle pests that attack your crops...

It's kinda third world, but for small supplementary gardens, you can pick the bugs by hand, and squash them by foot.  At first, the garden is a supplement.

Personally, my take on the various Biosphere projects was that the failure point was human ego.
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Offline RanulfC

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #14 on: 08/30/2010 04:16 pm »
1. Full ISRU and permanent closed-cycle living system

This absolutely needs to be mastered before we can even think about colonizing space. And we have to try it out on Earth first.
This has never been done. Experiments like Biosphere 2 were always only for short durations (and failed). Historic examples like the colonization of the Americas and Australia are meaningless, since these are obviously not closed-cycle systems.
As noted already Biosphere-2 isn't a really good example of anything but bad-planning from the start :)

My own opinion is that true "closed-loop" systems will be pretty much impossible because there IS going to be some loss in the system and the size of the system is going to be a self-limiting factor on how much you can 'close' the loop. Small systems being harder than big systems because your 'losses' in the bigger system are overall less critical than in smaller systems where the losses are a bigger percentage of your overall efficincy.

Having said that we need to also understand that a lot of the work needed for practical "closed-loop" (as opposed to the "true-closed-loop" above) systems has been done and is being done right now with home-gardening, hobby and commercial hydroponics, Aquaponics and living-machine systems. Along with intergration of more 'conventional' mechanical systems, together we already pretty much HAVE the technology to make any "settlment" self-sustaining for food, air, and waste recycling on most organic systems levels. Mechanical and materials disposal that require higher technology recycling and manufacturing systems are pretty close but there are "waste" and "by-product" emissions from these that are much tougher to deal with in a closed environment.

Intergration of the two (mechanical and biological) systems needs to be experimented with and bias' on both sides have to be overcome so that there can be a cross-pollination of concepts synergized towards hostile environments.

Quote
The closest we can get to Mars on Earth is Antarctica. Unsupported human life in Antarctica is not possible (with the possible exception of a few areas along the coast and Antarctic peninsula); which is the reason (together with the Antarctic treaty) why it is the only continent on Earth not settled by humans. The bases on the continent are not self-sufficient and many are not even permanently staffed. In this sense, the situation in Antarctica is similar to what one could expect after the first phase of exploration on the Moon and Mars (maybe towards the end of this century): several independant bases, all requiring extensive and expensive support from Earth.
Actually there are several inland places that are pretty much ice free with signs of geothermal energy resources that could be tapped if the Treaty didn't prevent such. And several of the bases which DO have permanant staffs and are run year-around also have support systems for growing food and closing the loop on the waste management and other systems.

Quote
Therefore, I propose that we start an international effort to establish a permanent human colony in Antarctica, in the middle of the continent
Your BIGGEST obsticle is going to be international opposition to the idea of putting a "colony" there in the first place. The international science community will be up in arms over the 'contamination' of the natural environment and interferance with their studies. The environmentalist crowd of course will not like the idea as it is "obviously" just the first step in commercial exploitation of the continent. You'll have opposition to the idea of building an "safe-haven" for the rich and elite of the world against the "coming-disaster" (take your pick, there are plenty that are supposed to happen "real-soon-now" :) ) where they will ride out the storm and use as a base of operations to subjegate the survivors.

I could go on but you kinda probably get the idea. (I hope :) )

Another issue is the proposed "isolation" because even Antarctica gets tourists and due to regular contact during the spring/summer time frame with the rest of the world the major installations will be just as vulnerable to disaster. So too will the "colony" since there will still be other people around. Getting people to 'volunteer' to be sealed away in a "vault" is going to be an issue also.

Still another issue is the actual costs since the colony will have to designed, built, and gotten up and running before the actual 'colonists' arrive. (Unlike the colonization of anywhere here on Earth there isn't many ways to do this 'incrementally' or slowly given the conditions of the colony. This is of course WORSE anywhere but here on Earth :) )

The "requirements" would need to be defined to even begin the planning process.

I also suspect that trying to go from "zero-to-colony" is probably not the best way to research combined systems operations. As an example, your example actually, Biosphere-2 was NOT a "short" experiment at a planned two year "run" and that was the FIRST attempt!

Would it not make more sense to start with a less ambitous systems intergration facitlity with steadily increasing runs of "closed" operation? Start with a month and work your way up to longer and longer periods of time in "closed" mode. At some point this would include crew "exchanges" which would test the systems capability to handle increases and decreases in personnel, sudden influx handling capability and basicly stress-test the system.

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Offline Hop_David

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #15 on: 08/30/2010 06:35 pm »
I would like to suggest a few things that could be done here on Earth in the next 50 years to prepare for eventual colonization of Mars (or other extraterestrial destinations). Feel free to add/comment.


While Mars has an atmosphere, it is a cold, hard vacuum by our standards.

Building stuff on Mars surface would be like an EVA. Pressure suits would be needed, which reduces dexterity. It's dangerous and tiring.

Developing better telepresence and teleoperated devices would be a helpful step. And more able telerobots could have numerous earth applications.

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #16 on: 08/30/2010 09:54 pm »
I would like to suggest a few things that could be done here on Earth in the next 50 years to prepare for eventual colonization of Mars (or other extraterestrial destinations). Feel free to add/comment.


While Mars has an atmosphere, it is a cold, hard vacuum by our standards.

Building stuff on Mars surface would be like an EVA. Pressure suits would be needed, which reduces dexterity. It's dangerous and tiring.
I really think that better space suits should be one of the first things on the list of technologies that surface missions require. We definitely can improve on the current suits used on the ISS when it comes to dexterity, effort, and durability. If you've decided that  you're going to send humans some place, you need to maximize their effectiveness once they get there.


Regarding Antarctica as a template for an extraterrestrial colony, Iceland may be a better analogue (or, at least a complementary analogue). Here is why:
*It has only recently been settled (within the last 1000 years, roughly).
*It had/has a nearly self-sufficient population (or, at least it has had sustained periods of self-sufficiency and produces almost all of its own power).
*It imports some food, but I believe most vegetables and some fruit are actually grown in greenhouses (for at least part of their lifecycle) which are lit during the winter partly by electricity produced from geothermal sources (they are also heated in this manner), a trend which is growing. I should mention that electricity there is very cheap (which probably won't be the case on Mars).
*Icelandic people spend A LOT of their time in their homes during the winter months. On Mars, almost all your time will be spent indoors.
*It has/had a small population... In the 1700s, it was nearly self-sufficient (though mostly agricultural), yet it had only about 50,000 souls... well, 50,000 people (and maybe more souls... Icelanders believe in elves, etc. ;) ).
*Electric and hydrogen cars are rather common there... Tesla Motors has a dealership in Reykjavik, whereas I've never seen a Tesla Roadster.
*Aluminum smelting is a big industry there, because of the low price of energy there. A colony on another planet will also need to produce basically all of its own materials, except for some "vitamins" like computer chips, sensors, and other things which are really hard to make but also are really low-mass for their value.


Granted, Mars has very little geothermal activity, but nuclear power plants (especially ones designed to fully burn their fissionables and last for a century without refueling) could stand in while local energy sources (poor though they may be) are developed.

One thing I've learned from living in Minnesota is that if you're in a harsh climate, you had better have power and a lot of it. More energy equals better life during the winter time. Your body even craves more fatty foods because of the low temperatures. Also, more lighting really helps your mood. I know some people who have little hydroponic gardens in their houses just to brighten their spirits with a little bit of green during the winter (and before you ask, it wasn't for pharmacological purposes).

Even if most of your calories are provided by industrially produced chemical macronutrients, the more greenhouse space you can afford on your colony, the better.
« Last Edit: 08/30/2010 10:03 pm by Robotbeat »
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Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #17 on: 08/30/2010 10:05 pm »
In the terminology of people who make (partially) self-replicating 3D printers like SpacexULA, a "vitamin" is anything which can't be printed. In the context of a colony, it would be anything which can't be produced on the colony from ISRU materials, so as the colony develops its industry, the number of things which are considered "vitamins" should drop (EDIT: Unless the price of transporting goods to the colony--and back--drops as well). Without ISRU, everything but sunlight and the electricity it produces in solar cells is a "vitamin."
« Last Edit: 08/30/2010 10:09 pm by Robotbeat »
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Offline mlorrey

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #18 on: 08/31/2010 06:41 am »
I would like to suggest a few things that could be done here on Earth in the next 50 years to prepare for eventual colonization of Mars (or other extraterestrial destinations). Feel free to add/comment.


While Mars has an atmosphere, it is a cold, hard vacuum by our standards.

Building stuff on Mars surface would be like an EVA. Pressure suits would be needed, which reduces dexterity. It's dangerous and tiring.

Developing better telepresence and teleoperated devices would be a helpful step. And more able telerobots could have numerous earth applications.

Adding 0.3 microbars of CFC to the Mars atmosphere will cause the CO2 in the southern polar cap and in martian regolith to evaporate, giving Mars a 300 millibar CO2 atmosphere, which is about as dense as the top of Mt. Everest, so you wouldn't need pressure suits, but you would need O2 masks.

There are significant mineral deposits on Mars that would be useful in producing CFC's in large quantities.

I would suggest that the first generation Martian economy would focus on industrialization of water, agriculture, steel, and CFC production.

300 millibars of CO2 would be entirely livable for a lot of Earth plant life. According to Martyn Fogg's terraforming calculator, with such an atmosphere, at least 50% of the martian surface would be above freezing throughout the year.

NOTE: 0.3 microbars of CFC should mass somewhere around 3,930,817 metric tons. Peak production of CFCs on Earth  was about 1,400 million kg or 1,400,000 metric tons per year.

EDITED: Reran terraforming simulator and updated numbers, I was overestimating the amount of CFC needed.
« Last Edit: 08/31/2010 07:08 am by mlorrey »
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Offline A_M_Swallow

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #19 on: 08/31/2010 04:26 pm »
If we terraformed Mars would it keep the new atmosphere?  Or would the gasses escape into space?

Offline Rhyshaelkan

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Re: Preparatory work for future space colonization
« Reply #20 on: 08/31/2010 08:11 pm »
Solar wind will eventually drive off atmosphere. UV light cracks water in high altitude. The lighter hydrogen is blown off. Leaving a planet much like Venus. High atmosphere but little hydrogen. Over the eons of time Venus has lost its water(hydrogen) due to its near non-existent EM field. Earth has done better with a combination of its EM field and oxygen fixing life.

With a weaker EM field, Mars will lose atmosphere over time. Depending on how much and how fast it is replenished will determine how long life can be sustainable there. But a little warming of Mars could bring the pressure up to life sustaining levels, as Hop mentioned. Perhaps it will keep that way for thousands of years.

I asked this very question perhaps a year ago. Was told something rather similar. Mars raised to half Earth pressure could possibly maintain life for millions of years. Luna raised to half Earth pressure could even support life for a few thousand years. All depends on the work you want to put into it.

Were we to have fusion drives perhaps we could cart mega-tons of liquid gasses back from the Neptunian-trojans. Rather than crashing comets and asteroids with all the negative impacts of said process, no pun intended. Perhaps we could store the liquid gasses in massive heat shielding bags. When moved into Mars orbit the gasses could be siphoned off with long hollow tethers down to the Martian surface in a controlled fashion, so as not to disturb occupants already there.
/me shrugs

Anything is possible given time, and the application of force.
I am not a professional. Just a rational amateur dreaming of mankind exploiting the universe.

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