In science fiction movies and shows like “Martian” or “for all humanity“Mars is often portrayed as a difficult but ultimately survivable environment for humans. Conditions may be difficult, but with enough rugged ingenuity and perseverance, humans can conquer Mars.” red planet In these stories, just as we have the frontiers of the earth.
The reality is a completely different story. Exposure to the unmediated Martian environment is not only hostile to humans. It is quickly fatal. It may be possible to create a habitable environment on Mars, but that habitat would be more akin to a sealed space station or submarine than a remote settlement.
Myth 1: “You can build colonies on the surface.”
Reality: Most habitats are likely to be buried underground
Much of the fiction about colonizing the solar system involves terraforming planets and building sustainable settlements on the surface. In reality, terraforming Mars would be incredibly difficult.
“The idea is to transform Mars so that humans can survive on Mars outdoors (without spacesuits),” says the astrophysicist. Dr. Jeffrey Bennettfounder of Big Kid Science and author of “scale of the universe“To do that, we would need to find a way to increase the atmospheric pressure by almost 200 times while ensuring we have the right mix of breathable oxygen and carbon dioxide (or other greenhouse gases) to keep it warm enough for us to survive.”
Presumably, the surface of Mars lacks carbon dioxide trapped in water, soil, or minerals that cannot be released to form a sufficiently thick atmosphere. This means that at most the atmospheric pressure is about 7-12% of Earth’s, and there is no greenhouse effect where ice melts and creates bodies of water. Atmospheric pressure of at least 50% is necessary for humans to survive.
“Even if it were possible (and there is scientific debate as to whether it is possible), it would probably take at least several centuries, and perhaps thousands of years,” Bennett said.
Also, the lack of an atmosphere and global magnetic field means that the surface of Mars is exposed to extreme cosmic levels and global magnetic fields. solar radiationtens of times more than what exists on Earth.
To survive, the settlement would need to be buried deep underground or located in a lava tube (an underground tunnel created by a flow of lava). To exist on the surface, any structure would need to be protected by a thick layer of Martian soil or protected by materials such as:
Myth 2: “Mars is basically a cold desert that you can adapt to.”
Reality: Mars will kill you in minutes without a suit
“Mission to Mars” is a typical Hollywood treatment of the Martian experience, depicting the surface as having manageable temperatures and pressures. Even if a character is exposed to it temporarily, there are no lasting negative effects.
Real planets are more hostile. Mars’ atmosphere is only 1% as dense as Earth’s atmosphere and consists of approximately 95-96% carbon dioxide. When there is a lack of pressure and a complete lack of oxygen, each breath kills you instantly …In fact, if the air pressure is so low, you won’t even be able to breathe.
“The habitat and the spacesuit need oxygen,” Bennett said. “The air that exists on Mars is mainly carbon dioxide, which means that in principle we could extract oxygen from this air. A small test of this has been carried out by Mars. perseverance rover. However, it would be difficult to scale it up to support groups of people or colonies. ”
Plus, Mars isn’t just cold. It’s unimaginably cold. Surface temperatures average -80°F (-62°C), but it gets much colder at the extreme ends, with nighttime temperatures sometimes dropping below -125°F (-87°C). Even if you can deal with pressure and oxygen issues, you’ll start freezing quickly. Hypothermia rapidly robs people of their ability to think clearly, reduces motor function, and ultimately leads to arrhythmias, loss of consciousness, and cardiac arrest.
Surviving on Mars requires a continuous source of breathable air and a warm environment, or a suit warm enough to maintain core body temperature at the appropriate level. This also means that huge amounts of energy are required to power the heating elements and produce and purify breathable air.
Myth 3: “Low gravity is harmless and has potential benefits.”
Reality: Mars’ gravity could permanently weaken the human body
The idea of effortlessly bouncing across the Martian landscape is an appealing fantasy. In movies like “John Carter,” the protagonist is seen leaping through the air in great arcs, but he has superhuman strength due to growing up in Earth’s higher gravity.
In reality, the effects of low gravity environments on the human body diminish over time. According to research, Astronauts exposed to low gravity for long periods of time lose approximately 1 to 1.5 percent bone density per month.
Long-term complications, such as cardiovascular changes and balance and coordination problems, can also occur if left unaddressed. To avoid negative effects, an artificial gravity system (a technology that currently does not exist) is required, and colonists must undergo strenuous exercise to avoid loss of muscle and bone density.
“Mars’ gravity is only about one-third (more precisely, about 38%) as strong as Earth’s,” Dr. Bennett explained. “Although it is certainly survivable in the short term (some astronauts have been in zero gravity for more than a year in Earth orbit), there is no data on the effects of living in low gravity for many years.”
As Bennett points out, there is also the issue of the impact on future generations. “We don’t know what will happen to a baby born in that gravity. Will the baby develop normally? Can a celestial body that develops in low gravity be able to travel to higher gravity parts of Earth? These questions are currently unanswered.”
Myth #4: “Growing food on Mars will be easy.”
Reality: Mars soil is toxic and agriculture is experimental
In the soil of Mars perchloratea group of chemical salts derived from perchloric acid. These are similar to table salt, but much more toxic. On Earth, it is used in rocket fuel, explosives, and fireworks. As you can imagine, they are highly toxic to humans and any soil will require extensive treatment before it is possible to grow crops.
Also in “The Martian””This is one of the most science-based works of science fiction ever written, but the main character is able to successfully grow crops because the story avoids the problem of perchlorate in the soil. If clean regolith is available, his method of mixing it with human waste and water would probably be viable, but it would require some sort of process. purify the soil beginning.
Additionally, large-scale hydroponics and aeroponics, as well as the ability to recycle water in a closed loop, will also be required. Detoxifying soil on a large scale will also require specially engineered microorganisms and fungi. A real Martian farm would look more like a biotech lab than the fields we associate with farms on Earth.
Myth 5: “The biggest challenge is getting there.”
Reality: Surviving psychologically may be just as difficult as surviving physically
A Mars mission could take at least two to three years round trip, and would likely involve extreme isolation and communication delays, especially for early pioneers. Managing sleep disruption, the stress of confinement, and the effects on mood and cognition with limited or no human contact is as essential to survival as addressing physical needs.
This is a topic that Bennett addresses in his book The Scale of the Universe.”. In it he writes:
“Despite all these challenges, humanity will probably
We will probably successfully reach Mars within the next 10 or 20 years. this
That leads to the question of whether we will actually “colonize” Mars. it’s quite
It’s easy to imagine a permanent research station for astronauts to head to.
He was on Mars for two years. But would anyone actually want to live there?
Politely? Personally, I doubt it. I’ll never be able to go out with you-
Taking off the spacesuit is the least dangerous thing to do, considering the risk of radiation on the ground.
Most likely living underground. Living may sound like an adventure, but
A whole new world, and I think people will become that way once they get there.
It turns out they want to go home. ”
There is a phenomenon called “Earth disappearing from sight,” and this applies to Mars exploration, where colonists will see Earth shrink to a small blue dot, and then disappear completely. This can lead to psychological stress, such as a deep sense of isolation and the realization that help is not only far away, but completely absent. If something goes wrong, no one will come to help you.
Also, living in close quarters, repeating the same actions, eating the same bland hydrated food, and breathing the same circulating air creates a level of sensory poverty and extreme monotony that can lead to irritability, depression, and decline in cognitive performance. To counter this effect, NASA experimented with something called “.vegetable pods” Even the scent of a single real tomato has a positive impact on mental health and helps combat the gray monotony of life in space.
Can humans really survive on Mars?
Yes, it is technically possible for humans to survive on Mars. But while survival on The Martian seems difficult, even the novels and movies put serious effort into the science to make it more possible, and true survival would require a massive injection of resources from Earth.
In reality, survival is only possible in highly engineered habitats. Everything requires a continuous life support system that provides breathable air and a livable climate, extensive radiation shielding, a closed system for water and food, and a reliable source of energy.
It is also necessary to have multiple redundancies in as many systems as possible, as a single failure can have immediate and catastrophic consequences. The reality of living on Mars is not very similar to actually living on Mars. It would be more like living in a habitat designed to keep Mars out.
In Dr. Bennett’s words: “Given that we already have a world with a functioning ecosystem (Earth) and are struggling to maintain it (e.g. global warming and other forms of ecosystem damage), it seems quite presumptuous to think that we might be better off starting from scratch on Mars.”