Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” starring Matt Damon, was a delightful adaptation from “The Martian” written by Andy Weir. When Andy wrote the book, he was not a professional scientist nor was he a professional writer. Neither am I. I am not qualified enough to write about space travel and its endeavours, but what makes me eligible to write is the fact that I love space and its every aspect and the fact that human can someday start life on another planet fascinates me.
Why Mars?
MARS, the fourth planet in the solar system. Also referred to as the red planet is one of the most interesting places for humans, solely because of the fact that it is similar to earth in many ways. Its one-tenth the mass of earth, the temperatures can go as high as 50℃ in summers to -143℃ in winters and with the help of satellite imaging we have found that mars is home to a lot of underground frozen lakes of water. After observing the surface from the sky, we noticed shapes of river deltas, which is very interesting and deepens our assumption of mars having water, all these findings encourage us to go out there and look for life on that planet.
The first civilization on mars
One of our biggest ambitions is going to mars, exploring the planet. We have sent rovers on it in the past, but now it is time for humans to step foot on Mars and look into its wonders. The whole project of getting people on Mars is not easy at all, there is a number of variable factors that we need to look into. Providing Shelter, clean reusable air, food or for that matter growing food and looking for water resources under the surface of the planet. All of this must be accomplished keeping in mind the finances, the mental and physical well-being of the astronauts.
The Voyage
A major part of this expedition will be comprised of the journey to the planet. Mars is 12.5 light-minutes i.e. 56.4 million kilometres away, and on an average, it takes about 10 months to reach the edge of the inner zone. Most of the ships that are manufactured on earth can take us from earth to mars, but they are not designed to get us back. We need a ship which can get people back home. SpaceX is working on a rocket which they call the BFR, it is the successor of Falcon heavy and has the capacity of carrying 150 tonnes of payload to the planet. SpaceX claims that this ship will have the ability to refill in orbit, which makes it a perfect option for long-distance travelling. With the kind of specification this machine has, you may think that the cost of producing this mammoth will be high, but if we compare it most of the rockets that are being made by other organizations, it’s the cheapest!
A key effect of this journey that may go unnoticed is the deterioration of the mental health among astronaut. Mars is far, travelling will take almost 10 months and the living on Mars for a minimum of 3 months (I am assuming) and then coming back the exact same distance. This can be really traumatic, being away from home in an unknown environment can play a lot of games on the mind, It can hinder with their concentration and their cognitive functionality. According to the American psychological association “The difficulty of speaking with family members on the ground could contribute to loneliness and psychological problems such as anxiety or depression.” To ensure that any of this doesn’t have we need to select the candidates after doing a proper analysis of their mental health.
The Shelter
Probably the most important thing required to live on a new planet is shelter, the asylum in which humans can feel safe from the harsh environment. Many futurists have thought different styles of housing on mars, but according to my limited knowledge, a shelter that is underground will serve the best. Making a shelter underground will eliminate most of the hostility of the planet that comes in the form of sandstorms. Drilling a spacious tunnel on a different planet is impossible, so here we will be looking for underground frozen lakes. From the extensive study of the planet, we have found one such underground frozen lake which is 19km wide and located at the base of the polar ice cap known as Planum Australe.
Constructing sealed shelter will require binding agents like concrete, but we cannot really transport a lot of concrete to mars and also concrete will not be able to give great strength to the structure due to change in environment. Researchers at MIT have found the way in which we can make Martian concrete, according to them “The key material in a Martian construction boom will be sulphur. The basic idea is to heat the sulphur to about 240 °C so that it becomes liquid, mix it with Martian soil, which acts as an aggregate, and then let it cool. The sulphur solidifies, binding the aggregate and creating concrete”. This will provide great support and stability to the structure and therefore will help in building a sustainable shelter.
Air & water
If there was a civilization to prosper on mars a constant supply of breathable air and clean water is needed. Thanks to the satellites wandering above the atmosphere of the red planet, we know that Mars has water, but most of it is underground and frozen. But until we come up with some kind of solution on how to make that water usable, we have to stick with some old methods.
One of the ways in which we can obtain clean breathable air is by electrolysis, this can be done by using two devices, the Russian-made Elektron and the U.S. Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). Here's how the chemistry of the process works: (source: how stuff works)
At the cathode, a type of reaction called reduction occurs. Electrons (e-) from the cathode combine with the water (H2O) to make hydrogen gas (H2) and hydroxide ions (OH-): 2H2O (l) + 2e- ->H2 (g) + 2 OH- (aq).
At the anode, a type of reaction called oxidation occurs. Electrons get removed from the water and flow into the anode. Removing the electrons from water yields oxygen gas (O2) and hydrogen ions (H+): 2H2O (l) -> O2 (g) + 4 e- + 4 H+
As far as futures plans are concerned, plants are supposedly named as a natural air purifier and will also eliminate the carbon dioxide in the air.
Cleaning or reusing water, on the other hand, will require different techniques. One of which is Osmosis, dirty water can be passed through a semi-permeable membrane, eliminating all the harmful parasites and viruses. The process of ultrafiltration can also be used for cleaning water. Interestingly, if we want to clean urine water, we will be requiring an activated carbon bed, which removes urea and provide safe water.
One of the more advanced processes through which we can recycle water is the Sabatier's reaction. NASA has been using this process in the international space station (ISS), according to them “this process uses a catalyst that reacts with carbon dioxide and hydrogen - both by-products of current life-support systems onboard the space station - to produce water and methane. This interaction closes the loop in the oxygen and water regeneration cycle.”
Interesting side note: Sabatier’s process can be also used for making fuel for the BFR on Mars, the ship will take CO2 from the atmosphere and will combine it with water to produce methane and oxygen.
Food
It might seem simple for food, just take it from earth bro! but there is a catch, how much can you actually take up? You cannot fill the whole ship with food. And if we are talking about living there for a long time then we must try to start plantation and grow some of the fruits and vegetables. If we talk about the Martian soil, it consists mostly of metals like lead, arsenic, mercury and lots of iron.
Researchers at institute Alterra of Wageningen University did an experiment on artificial Martian soil wherein they planted 14 types of plants and observed them for 50 days, according to them “plants on Martian soil were blossoming, we fertilized them with a brush, with some even seeding. It was exciting to watch. Tomato plants were growing and carrot plants even had small carrots, cress formed seeds." We must keep in mind that if we want to grow anything on the Martian soil then it must be under an earthly environment.
Finances
One of the biggest issues regarding this mission is its feasibility. Mars One estimates the cost of bringing the first four people to Mars at US$ 6 billion. This is the cost of all the hardware combined, plus the operational expenditures, plus margins. Now, to get this amount of money an organization will need funding from external sources like (source: Mars one)
Donations
The revenue generated from donations is not enough to finance the mission but as time passes by and more people start believing in the credibility of this mission more people will donate and the average amount will go up.
Intellectual Property rights
Designing, building, and testing the hardware by these suppliers for the mission will result in new Intellectual Properties. For example, in recycling and growing food with less water and energy than current systems, or in applying and further developing existing technologies to Martian conditions and autonomous operations.
Broadcasting rights
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon, everyone who had access to a TV watched it happen. In the current media era, where unique content is a high-value asset and internet access is growing rapidly, the first human landing on Mars will be an enormous event. So, broadcasting the whole process will generate enough revenue that can support this mission.
Conclusion
After going through a countless number of articles and reading about the numerous ways in which we can achieve this goal, this impossible mission is sounding more possible. We have the resources, we have the knowledge and we have the courage to go and get what we want. The journey is long and full of obstacles and I know that we will fail a thousand times but through the power human mind and its perseverance, we will step foot on Mars one day and that day will be marked as the greatest day in the history of mankind.
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