Could Humans Live on Mars

Could humans live on Mars?

Introduction to Mars:

    Mars is the fourth planet of our solar system. Mars is a rocky, dusty desert planet. 
It is also known as the "red planet". Its name is because its outer surface is red due to iron oxide (known as rust). 
An image of Mars by NASA


Characteristics and key facts:

  • Phobos
    The distance from sun to Mars is 142 million miles and from Earth its ranging from 35 million miles up to 140 million miles.
  • Phobos and Deimos are two asteroid-like moons of Mars.
  • Olympus Mons is the highest mountain in the solar system. It is three times higher than Mount Everest.
  • Its radius is about 2,106 miles.
  • One Martian day is called a sol, which takes 24.6 hours.
  • One year is about 687 Earth days. 
  • It is cold because its atmosphere is very thin and cannot capture heat. Its surface temperature is about -82 °C to -143 °C.
  • Its polar caps are made of frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice), and some are composed of frozen water.
  • It is home to many heavy dust storms.
  • Their rocks are composed of dark volcanic basalt.
    Deimos: Moon of Mars


Is there life on Mars?

    It is the greatest mystery among scientists whether there is life on Mars. Yet there is no true and conclusive evidence of life on Mars but some biosignatures are discovered. It is proof that may be at some point,  ancient microbial life may have exist four billion years ago.

Why is Mars considered to be suitable for humans?

     Mars has some characteristics which make it suitable for life. Some are described below.

 Gravity:

    The gravity on Mars is 3.721 m/s which is 36% of Earth's gravity. This gravity is difficult but manageable for humans. 

Atmosphere:

    As described above, the Martian atmosphere is thin. Its atmosphere consist of light gases such as carbon dioxide 95.32%, nitrogen 2.7%, and argon 1.6%. There is trace amount of other gases like oxygen 0.13%, water vapours 0.03%, and carbon monooxide 0.07%. 
Carbon dioxide is a source for human survival because it can converted into fuel and oxygen.

Water:

    A large quantity of water on Mars is present in the form of ice caps. NASA's InSight Lander indicates that there is free-floating liquid water buried underground beneath the surface.


Ground surface of Mars:

    The surface of Mars is rocky unlike other gaseous planets. Humans can walk on the ground, plains, or rocky surfaces. It may be difficult due to low gravitational pull, but manageable.

Challenges for human survival:

Temperature:

    Temperature on Mars is very low. It has a large amount of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. But it can't capture heat due to a low amount of water vapor. Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas on Earth. The Martian atmospheric pressure is 0.006 atm, which is relatively less than 1% of Earth's pressure. That is the reason for the low temperature on Mars.

Undrinkable water:

    The current form of water on Mars is not drinkable because it can contain high concentrations of salts, heavy metals, and toxic compounds. 

Radiation exposure:

    On Mars, the radiation is 50 times stronger than on Earth. Mars is highly bombareded by radiation with high penetrating power. Unlike, Earth it has a thin atmosphere, which is a protective shield from radiation.

Solution to the challenges:

 Use of water resources for drinking and breathing:

    As described above, Mars contains water but is undrinkable. Water ice can be melted and purify or useable purposes. Through electrolysis, water can be split into H and O. Oxygen can be used for breathing, and hydrogen can be used to generate more water.

 Food production:

    Initially, we need to transport food from Earth. Several technologies and techniques like synthetic biology, hydroponics and aeroponics, soil remediation and CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) will all be essential for long-term sustainability.

Housing on Mars:

    Normal houses can't withstand heavy dust storms and radiation. With the help of advanced technologies, astronomors can build tough underground shelters.

Conclusion:

    Today, humans are unable to live on Mars. Scientists are working hard on these projects. Although Mars presents enormous challenges, continued advances in space technology may eventually enable humans to establish permanent settlements on the Red Planet.

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