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Living off the Land |
| The Martian pioneers will be very busy trying to stay alive. As interesting as
the search of evidence of life on Mars would be, it would be secondary to the efforts of finding the raw materials to sustain a human colony there. Mars will be a hostile place on
which to live. For example, |
- Mars is more harsh than the driest, coldest desert on earth. The nighttime and daytime temperature swings of -128F to -24F are far more severe that ever
observed here on earth.
- The air is very thin and even if it were concentrated, would still not be breathable.
- Conventional building materials don't exist there. There are no trees to use.
- There is no a natural source of food. There are no plants or animals to eat.
- There is no running water, coal, natural gas or oil.
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| With the above disadvantages, supporting a colony of humans on Mars will require a
lot of imagineering. The only way Martians settlers could stay on Mars is if they can learn to use what is already there. Supporting a colony of humans on Mars will require a
great deal of imagineering.
Imagine having to make everything needed for daily life from the air, rocks and the sand. It would not be easy, but it could be done. |
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 Over the course of many generations, some
scientists believe that it may be possible to completely transform (terraform) Mars into a more earth-like environment.
Settlements on Mars would be faced with the difficult challenge to survive. The world economy could not afford the cost of sending the Martian
settlers all the food, fuel, air and shelters they needed from the earth. Instead, the colonists will have to live off the land when they get there. |
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Imagine having to make everything
needed for daily life
from the air, rocks and the sand. |
What we can do here on earth for them is send them the necessary tools and machines for them to make
what they need from the basic resources found on Mars.
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Orbiting Martian satellites will help identify likely surface resources, but the Martian inhabitants will still have to travel to those locations
to stake their claims. The colonists will have to make on Mars all the materials we take for granted here on earth. They will have to make their own air, their water, grow their own food,
generate their electricity and build safe and warm shelters. It would be difficult, but with a lot of help from scientists and engineers on earth, it could be done. Outposts may evolve around
certain key resources. Just like on earth, Martian mining towns would cluster around major mineral resources. As the population grows, whole cites will emerge.
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The first generation citizens of the planet will be constant explorers. They will map the surface and find sources for water and minerals.
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Second generation citizens will be tradesmen and farmers, making things from Martian stuff to trade and survive. They will have to
make their own air, their water, grow their own food, generate their electricity and build safe and warm shelters. It would be difficult, but with a lot of help from scientists and engineers
on earth, it can be done.
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