NASA May Put a Greenhouse on the Red Planet Mustardlike plants could be the first Earthlings to call Mars home if NASA decides to let them hitch a ride on the next rover Jul 30, 2014 |By Katie Worth http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-may-put-a-greenhouse-on-the-red-planet/Now that's some cool stuff, I sure hope they do decide to take one up. Still this whole colonizing moon and Mars obsession seems like the act of denial on a gargantuan scale. Without a healthy bountiful home planet, nothing else is possible! We have a situation brewing on this planet, with this global warming thingie and all it's cascading consequences (no longer conjecture but being witnessed where ever you care to investigate) that is going to be preoccupying our time and energy more and more. Fancy space exploration is impossible in the chaotic world we are inviting into our lives. Yea Lausten I can understand your fascination with the human ability to continue on a course despite it's obvious hopelessness. But then, I also understand that sometimes just moving forward from day to day requires a denial of current circumstances.
Hey, how about putting a large, mirrored glass dome on Venus, then including a solar powered air conditioner to slowly bring the internal temperature down to about 30 degrees C., and finally some filters to remove toxic gasses? Then we might be able to grow some plants inside and have them generate oxygen. Gradually we could build additional domes, and finally possibly turn the planet into a habitable place.
Occam
Hey, how about putting a large, mirrored glass dome on Venus, then including a solar powered air conditioner to slowly bring the internal temperature down to about 30 degrees C., and finally some filters to remove toxic gasses? Then we might be able to grow some plants inside and have them generate oxygen. Gradually we could build additional domes, and finally possibly turn the planet into a habitable place. OccamThe problem with terraforming is that it takes a lot of "stuff" to terraform a planet. We have been terraforming earth ( climate change) by running millions of internal combustion machines 24/7 for a half century and its only now making some changes in the atmosphere. Consider the amount of effort and money ( the cost of all that oil and machines and upkeep) that would have been required if we were doing that for the sole purpose of trying to warm the planet. Now imagine how hard it is to do it in an alien environment millions of miles from home. Its an interesting idea but terraforming requires a long term commitment ( maybe centuries) of vast resources with no immediate benefit for those making the sacrifices. Not something we are particularly good at as a species so far.
The problem with terraforming is that it takes a lot of "stuff" to terraform a planet. We have been terraforming earth ( climate change) by running millions of internal combustion machines 24/7 for a half century and its only now making some changes in the atmosphere. Consider the amount of effort and money ( the cost of all that oil and machines and upkeep) that would have been required if we were doing that for the sole purpose of trying to warm the planet. Now imagine how hard it is to do it in an alien environment millions of miles from home.Interesting way to put it into perspective. As for the kinda greenhouse NASA is talking about
This early prototype of a one-liter greenhouse is being tested by researchers for an experiment that would send plants to Mars and the moon. NASA is expected to announce a decision this week whether to approve the experiment for the 2020 Mars rover. Photo credit: Dominic Hart, NASA Ames
I agree about planet wide terraforming, Mac, but I was thinking that a few small domes, mirrored to reflect 90%+ of the sun’s energy could be built as outposts.
Occam
I agree about planet wide terraforming, Mac, but I was thinking that a few small domes, mirrored to reflect 90%+ of the sun's energy could be built as outposts. OccamGot it. I misunderstood. Not to be a buzz kill, but although you've been quite creative the surface of Venus the temp is hot enough ( about 870 F) to melt lead and there isn't a lot of sunlight reaching the surface so a reflective green house might not be as effective as you would think. If you really want to spend some vacation time on Venus some scientists have suggested that the upper atmosphere may be the better place to hang out since the gas composition and atmospheric pressure in that area are more earth like. So pack up your Blimp and your steampunk outfit instead of your reflective greenhouse if you want an out of this world vacation on the 2nd rock from the sun.
Those mustard greens will only cost about $500 a pound–and they’ll be delicious! Worth every penny.
Lois
I agree, Mac, and as I call much of the atmosphere is made up of sulfur oxides which could convert to sulfuric acid quite easily so even the blimp would probably disintegrate pretty quickly.
Occam
the devil is in the details
yosemitesam said; the devil is in the detailsI beg to differ. The devil is in the overall picture!
We have the good great fortune to live on a Cinderella planet and we are going to terraform a hostile planet because we are in the process of ruining this one and don’t bother to fix it?
I love science fiction, but this is utterly ridiculous! It’s like building a new Volkswagon because our current Ferrari has a full ashtray.
The devil is in the overall picture!You are right. The idea of growing food in Martian soil has been quashed since we learned that soil is permeated with perchlorates. Getting that poison into us by eating something grown in that soil or even getting Martian dirt on our skin would be fatal. Hydroponics is probably going to be the best answer.
On top of that, Martian dust is sticky as well as poisonus. Dust storms can last for months. So far they have not come up with a way to clean the dust off of anything.
I think the best way to have humans explore Mars would be to live in an orbiting ship and visit the surface for short periods only when we feel that robots can’t do the job. It looks like they want to try something like that with a lunar orbiting station.
btw, why did you did up a six year old thread?
Because things are going so splendidly down here?
Yep, we’re doing a bang-up job on terra-keeping, let alone terra-forming???