I suspect that AI and robotic development will reach the point that by the time we can send and return a few people to Mars, we can send indestructible “human-like” robots that can accomplish the same things (and more) on a Mars mission that a real human could do, but without the life-sustaining needs and fragility of humans. The History of the United States' Golden Presidential Dollars, How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Changed Schools and Education in Lasting Ways. But I think we probably won't want to once all the information is in, at least not in the near future. That reason is That we almost did not achieve the Moon manned missions. Considering the travel costs and convenience, the moon seems to be the ideal place to settle economically. We’re not sure why, but it seems that bacteria are more dangerous in space. The water can be consumed, mixed with food, and could even mediate sanitation. I don’t entirely agree that Mars is the best place to do it, but we should at least have another party going on somewhere. We’re already killing our own planet. Gravitational Lensing: What It Is And How It Is Helping Us Discover New Galaxies, What Exactly is Archimedes Principle: Explained in Simple Words, What is Evolution? In the second instalment of his two-part feature on human missions to Mars, Dr Alexander Kumar asks whether we should send people to the Red Planet given our poor record managing this one. If we wanted to live there, we would have to wear a pressurised suit. But, we won’t know if a permanent presence is possible until we try. What Is The Huntsman Spider? Mars is the closest thing we have to Earth in the entire solar system, and that’s not saying much. The fact is, we already have been to Mars. Or, colonists anxious about their jeopardized fashion could also take shelter in the moon’s deep caves, just as the first people on Earth inhabited its caves through the past millennia. The evidence gathered by the missions never materialized. But sending people to Mars for long periods of time would be extremely unsafe, and we shouldn’t do it. Mars’ gravity is less than Earth but large enough to lure gases and form an atmosphere. It’s important to explore Mars, and humans play a valuable role in that research. 10. Does Burnt Toast Have The Same Amount Of Calories As Regular Toast? Excellent article and worthy of discussion and serious thought. This assumes that Earth-like atmosphere and temperatures, as well as food and water, can be provided, but providing such an environment on Mars would be enormously expensive. In the case of a fatal emergency, abandoning a mission and retreating home or summoning help is just a forlorn attempt at rescuing. Mars is the closest thing we have to Earth in the entire solar system, and that’s not saying much. The search for life on Mars shouldn't focus exclusively on the distant past, some researchers say. Earth’s resources are depleting at a frightening rate. What Is The Fibonacci Sequence? The Red Planet is a cold, dead place, with an atmosphere about 100 times thinner than Earth’s. There is also no edible food and very little available water. Exchanging infrastructure isn’t a big deal either; in fact, catapulting an object from the moon at a suitable angle would cause it to drop pleasantly into the hands of our planet. But there’s nothing we could do to earth’s atmosphere to make it as bad as Mars, which is both extremely thin and also 96% carbon dioxide. This idea that we are going to abandon Earth and go live on Mars is utter nonsense. It gets warm at midday, briefly, can go over 0 °C. These failures could cause permanent damage to expensive exploration machinery and cost us entire missions, but more importantly, a life. Is Aluminum Magnetic? The Lunar Prospector and Clementine Probe hinted that the moon was home to an ocean of water, some billion metric tons, that was cold and solidified beneath the thick crust of dust and ice. Another downside is that even if the poles did obscure water, landing on their surface poses an arduous challenge. Nothing of the sort was observed. Fact Check: Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe? Buzz Aldrin salutes the first American flag erected on the Moon (Image Credit: Neil A. Armstrong / NASA). Furthermore, the cratered and craggy surface of the moon is thoroughly suffused by lunar dust. Saturn’s largest moon Titan is the only natural satellite with more than a trace atmosphere. He says Nasa shouldn't be aiming to send manned missions to Mars Anders, 85, said he's a "big supporter" of the "remarkable" unmanned programmes, "mainly because they're much cheaper". On Mars, that means we could trigger a deliberate greenhouse gas effect that would melt the ice at the poles, release a load of CO2, make the atmosphere denser, and trap more heat and energy from the … Ok we're onto the second reason why we should not go to Mars. What Would Happen If You Shot A Bullet On A Train? We are there right now. Why Are There 52 Cards In A Deck, With 4 Suits Of 13 Cards Each? Even though its atmosphere doesn’t sustain pressurized oxygen like ours, which is imperative to live, it still protects the planet from the destructive shower of meteoroids, a phenomenon ubiquitous on the moon. NASA astronaut Ed White during a spacewalk June 3, 1965. Furthermore, the roaring energy generated by the recombination of these elements could propel rockets. Bill Nye made remarks this week in an interview this week with USA Today. 6. CROSS-CONTAMINATION FROM EARTH It's always a concern when sending surface probes to pristine worlds such as Mars that The Martian atmosphere is 95-percent carbon dioxide. Even though its atmosphere doesn’t sustain pressurized oxygen like ours, which is imperative to live, it still protects the planet from the destructive shower of meteoroids, a phenomenon ubiquitous on the moon. Even more costly would be the constant trips to Mars to resupply the colony. Elon Musk is a huge proponent of not merely exploring Mars, but terraforming it. Inhabiting Mars is more promising, because like our planet, it is engulfed and protected by an atmosphere. The abrasive powder clings to everything it acquaints. Will we stick with robots or ship off the humans? The moon, so devoted to its orbit around us, is only 3 days away, such that the communication delay is mere seconds. These samples revealed that the moon’s geology is quite similar to Earth’s, suggesting that the moon could have been formed by the coalescence of a splintered chunk of Earth’s mass blown into space due to a catastrophic collision with another celestial body. 'To successfully walk on the Martian surface unaided, humans would need to create an atmosphere similar in composition and thickness to that of Earth.' “It is really because we have an innate desire to explore.” The moon resides just 3 days away from us. We have been operating rovers on the surface of Mars since 1997, and landed another one, Curiosity, in 2012. “We are not going to go to the moon or Mars because of population pressure,” he explained. However, given the construction of an artificial environment, life on Mars could be possible. Even though the benefits of terraforming the moon might outweigh its risks, scientists continue to dismiss it because, at the end of the day, it is a cold, harsh, barren and dangerous place to live. Despite these amenities, why do space explorers persist to favor Mars instead? Why Is It So Special? What Does George Soros' Open Society Foundations Network Fund? Science behind the Shape of Bubbles and Why they Pop. It’s illogical. Mars is also subject to winds and seasons, whereas the temperatures on the moon can vacillate between 253 degrees Fahrenheit and -387 degrees Fahrenheit in a single day. Rather than a blazing lunar noon, the poles experience more of a solemn sunset. Why Don’t We Try To Colonize The Moon Instead Of Mars? And hopefully, I won't have to jostle with tourists there. What Are the Steps of Presidential Impeachment? There is also no edible food and very little available water. The arguments above show that we are perhaps not ready to go to Mars – at least, not today. By Jay Bennett. Another reason we should go to Mars, according to deGrasse Tyson, is to inspire the next generation of space explorers. Here are a couple: 1. 6. On the other hand, Mars’ core constitutes quite different elements. The Lunar Prospector and Clementine Probe hinted that the moon was home to an ocean of water, some billion metric tons, cold and solidified beneath the thick crust of dust and ice. How Does Nicotine Act As Both A Stimulant And A Depressant? Almost Everything We Need to Live on Mars Is Already There. 1. Though robotic spacecraft can do a lot, they lack the critical intuition, lifetime experience, and decision-making skills that humans have. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases would be vital to keep Mars warm enough. live on Mars. Unless we radically adapt our brains and bodies to the harsh Martian environment, the Red Planet will forever remain off limits to humans. Is Mount Everest Really The Tallest Mountain On Earth? On the other hand, we shouldn’t use this as an excuse to pollute the Earth, or let global warming run amok. These aspects could allow the contingencies of immediate retreat or summoning help to be more successful. The Apollo missions conducted between 1969 and 1972 ferried around 840 pounds of moon rock and soil back to Earth. But there are a few reasons we should continue to stay put, at least for a little while longer. Mars landers found trace amounts of vital minerals such as aluminum, titanium and iron. The Red Planet is a cold, dead place, with an atmosphere about 100 times thinner than Earth’s. Why Are Some Materials Magnetic? I feel like I shouldn’t even have to explain this one but basically, we cannot breath on Mars without oxygen tanks and such and that terrifies me. Why Is The Sun White At Noon And Red During Sunrise And Sunset. Well, strictly speaking, you can’t. Humanity has flown people into outer space and landed them on the moon. The fourth planet from the Sun, Mars is named after the Roman God of war. The most promising dwelling place seems to be the lunar poles, which are not only believed to rest upon large slabs of ice, but are also subject to comparatively calmer temperatures. Lead: The Ancient (And Deadly) Artificial Sweetener. It is only 0.13-percent oxygen, far less than the 21 percent available on Earth. It makes perfect sense to expand human presence to Mars, but we… Mars seems to be a good alternative. Why Are There Stones Alongside Railway Tracks? Its distance exacerbates communication delays typically up to 4 minutes. A thick cloak of this dust may also protect the inhabitants from radiation. Enamored with science ever since discovering a picture book about Saturn at the age of 7, he believes that what fundamentally fuels this passion is his curiosity and appetite for wonder. Everyone is always going on about the myriad of good reasons to send humans to Mars. That same population is boiling the planet by burning coal and simultaneously suffocating it with the dense, grey smoke that combustion releases. When it comes to colonizing outer space, Mars gets most of the attention, but there are also some very compelling reasons why we should colonize Titan. The low levels of sunlight falling on them for prolonged periods maintain temperatures of up to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The increase in the population further widens the social and financial cracks, allowing a stench of distrust to creep in. Not to mention a significantly lower level of gravity. The more resources we can harness on the Red Planet, the fewer we need to bring with us. Why live on Earth when you can live on Mars? Why Are There Stones Along Railway Tracks? However, like the overused plot of nearly every romantic comedy, the moon is believed to be hiding beneath its grey dust and craggy exterior, a heart filled with an ocean of hope. Its gravity is one-third than gravity is on Earth, a slump in weight that will require its colonists some time to get accustomed to. How Big Is It and Does It Bite? While it is possible that a self-sustaining colony could be designed and constructed sometime in the future, the technology does not currently exist to make a Martian colony feasible. But colonies - just don't 'see it. This oxygen can then be inhaled and combined with hydrogen to form water and fuel. How To Win Every Game Of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox. Pyramid-like structures have been discovered on Mars. From: SMITHSONIAN SPOTLIGHT: Space: Bots or Bodies http://bit.ly/1yQwTje Compare that time to the protracted time colonists of the moon would require getting accustomed to its gravity, which is just one-sixth of gravity on Earth. Inhabiting Mars is more promising, because like our planet, it is engulfed and protected by an atmosphere. However, given the construction of an artificial environment, life on Mars could be possible. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. How Does the 25th Amendment Work — and When Should It Be Enacted. The prospect of colonization seems far more feasible on a celestial body that is closer to our planet, so close that we feel and witness its gleaming presence every night. Humans cannot live on Mars because neither the temperature nor the atmosphere is compatible with human survival. (Photo Credit: NASA). The planet is currently being ransacked for its resources by its skyrocketing population like a herd of children ambushing an ice cream truck. It is no wonder that water is regarded as the most important substance in space. When asked in 2013 if we should go to Mars , he responded: A Simple and Brief Explanation, What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: Explained in Simple Words. Well, mine is not an absolute "shouldn't". When the the first Apollo mission landed on the moon they only had 30 seconds of fuel left, 30 SECONDS! I'm not saying that human spaceflight is too dangerous and that we shouldn't be sending humans into space at all. So-called "blueberries" are structures that contain hematite, a type of ore that makes steel. Buzz Aldrin’s footprint on the lunar surface (Image Credit: Buzz Aldrin / NASA). Humans cannot live on Mars because neither the temperature nor the atmosphere is compatible with human survival. After detecting hydrogen near the poles, the Lunar Prospector was programmed to deliberately nosedive into the south polar crater at the end of its mission in the hope that the surface, following the impact, would bleed profusely with water. The poles are craggier than the other areas of the moon. Since humans have lived in space for extended periods of time in ships or orbital station, it's reasonable to suppose that life on Mars is also possible. I think settlements as in the Antarctic habitats for sure. due to a catastrophic collision with another celestial body. In fact, propellants fueled by the combination of hydrogen and oxygen are the most powerful propellants we’ve ever developed. We live in an age where we could go out and find other places to expand. Coefficient Of Restitution: Definition, Explanation And Formula. Known as regolith, the dust is fine enough to slip through narrow crevices and cause mechanical failures. The water could also be broken up into its constituent components to extract oxygen to breathe! The atmospheric layer would also protect us from the sun’s UV rays, without which we would be fried in seconds on the moon. We must find a new home. Akash Peshin is an Electronic Engineer from the University of Mumbai, India and a science writer at ScienceABC. Why Are Bathtubs Usually Shorter Than A Person’s Height? We cannot breathe on Mars. However, a journey to Mars takes months, and even that is dependent on its alignment with our planet. Oxygen, by some miraculous technological feat, can also be extracted from regolith, which is 42% oxygen. A few more reasons why we shouldn’t move to Mars include the facts that it’s too cold for us to survive without an abundance of extremely reliable technology, the atmosphere is so thin it counts as a laboratory vacuum on Earth, there are rough and global dust storms and much more, according to Scientist Robert Walker. The Opportunity Rover also found copper, gold, zinc, tungsten and a variety of other elements. 1 To see pyramids in space. Mars has water, an atmosphere, and other resources that should allow us to live off the land. In the long run, however, Mars emerges as the clear winner. Jun 14, 2016 NASA. Sheepshead Fish: Facts About The Fish With Human Teeth, Circle Of Willis: Anatomy, Diagram And Functions. The moon’s lack of an atmosphere is the result of its paltry mass and weak gravity. Here are a few reasons why we might want to stop sending humans out into space for the foreseeable future: 1. Why Is Microsoft Planning To Move Data Centers Under Water? we respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. The only reason the entire planet isn't covered in ice is because it has so little water to turn into ice, and as the atmosphere is a near vacuum, the ice sublimates into water vapour (like dry ice) and collects at the poles. On top of that, if you sneeze in space, all the droplets come straight out and keep going. But what about the good reasons not to go to Mars? Furthermore, two-way trips to our red neighbor are extremely strenuous. Even delivering small machines requires larger, fuel-hungry rockets, so exchanging infrastructure to build entire colonies, at least currently, is impossible. Even with all of that in mind, scientists are still uncertain about the presence of water on the moon. Mars is calling. The atmosphere is also nearly 100 times thinner than Earth's, meaning Mars cannot retain the radiant heat of the sun, so while late afternoon at the Martian equator may be a comfortable 70 F, at night the temperature would fall to 100 F below zero. Still uncertain about the good reasons not to mention a significantly lower level of gravity larger, rockets..., tungsten and a variety of other elements back to Earth wonder water... But, we would have to jostle with tourists there but, we would to... The entire solar system, and other greenhouse gases would be extremely unsafe, even!, Circle of Willis: Anatomy, Diagram and Functions is a cold dead... Why live on Earth when you can ’ t we try to Colonize the moon thoroughly. The recombination of these elements could propel rockets landed another one, Curiosity, 2012... 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