What steps need to be taken for successful human colonization of Mars?

[ct_sigchi@yah]

I did my thesis on a mission to Mars. Ours, and many other proposals, involve technology still being developed (namely propulsion systems) and employ their theoretical capabilities once fully R&D'd.

There is a few of us that think sending an automated green house, with robots to "man" it, would be a wise decision before we start setting people down on that harsh planet. It's fairly straightforward:

Capsule that lands on Mars IS the green house. Plant growing stations are already set up and ready to be seeded, watered, monitored by the robot(s).

It will start producing vegetation within 6 months that is ready to eat... IF all works well. The robots will monitor the plants, recycle them in compost piles, etc... via remote control from Earth. From this, we may decide to send people in afterward.

Meanwhile, I sent (in my report) two rovers. One big one, and a smaller one who is like the "baby" to the mother, going where she can't, to provide simultaneous research for plant growing possibilities in our green house. Will the wind storms knock out too much sunlight? will other factors prove it near impossible to grow in our green house? etc...

 

[Emreth]

The reason why there is no life on Mars is because it's not sustainable. No atmosphere, no liquid water,etc..but there's a bigger problem that nobody mentions in the terraforming discussions..no magnetic field.The surface is constantly bombarded with radiation. Even if you get an atmosphere, it will dissipate into space quickly because of this. Thats the one thing that makes it impossible to terraform mars.

 

[sigma143]

The reason why there is no life on Mars is because it's not sustainable. No atmosphere, no liquid water,etc..but there's a bigger problem that nobody mentions in the terraforming discussions..no magnetic field.The surface is constantly bombarded with radiation. Even if you get an atmosphere, it will dissipate into space quickly because of this. Thats the one thing that makes it impossible to terraform mars.

Thank you Emreth! I was getting tired of reading the super-ego disputes, and then there it was. The first thing on my mind, no magnetic field. Do we know if plants need a magnetic field to grow?

 

[Astronuc]

Thank you Emreth! I was getting tired of reading the super-ego disputes, and then there it was. The first thing on my mind, no magnetic field. Do we know if plants need a magnetic field to grow?

Please note that the post to which one responded is 2 years old.

 

[sigma143]

Please note that the post to which one responded is 2 years old.

Yea. Emreth brought a good point and nobody responded...