Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

darrensilk3 t1_jdyjqfk wrote

The real issue there with those parameters you've given is that of time. As the terraforming itself is the smallest part of it, as it's more to do with ensuring that terraforming is maintained once deployed.

3

quequotion t1_jdyk4hr wrote

Doubtful.

We could get started, probably make some habitable enclosures, but before we can alter the global atmosphere--a fundamental prerequisite of any other global-scale terraforming we might attempt--there are significant impediments to overcome that are as-yet beyond our capacity.

Namely, the lack of an Ozone layer and a global magnetic field. Both of these serve on our world to protect the atmosphere and the surface from radiation and solar wind. Without them, any gas we pump into the air around Mars is just going to bleed off into space like its first atmosphere did.

7

CFCYYZ t1_jdykgnz wrote

Red Mars, Blue Mars, Green Mars, are the three titles in Kim Stanley Robinson's famous sci-fi trilogy. How we colonize and terraform Mars.

While we dream of making Mars look like Earth, we are busy making Earth look like Mars.
Terraform Earth. It's easier, cheaper, faster, with benefits to every human.

18

wjbc t1_jdykka8 wrote

How about terraforming Earth first by solving global warming? If we can’t do that, we don’t stand a chance on Mars.

3

Wunjoric t1_jdykxjc wrote

Elon says just drop nukes on the poles but im no expert

0

simcoder t1_jdymmwg wrote

You need humans in large groups capable of planning and implementing projects with century and beyond timescales. Right now, we're struggling to plan past this next quarter.

4

greymart039 t1_jdyqfe1 wrote

Terraform it to what extent? Enough so that humans could sustain themselves there or 100% Earth-like? The former probably wouldn't take a whole lot, but the latter would be near impossible just because of the size of Mars relative to Earth. Though both would equally take a long time.

1

Sunnyjim333 t1_jdyqg8q wrote

I have wonderd if we start pelting it with oxygen producing fungi or bacteria we could get a head start in touning it into a habitable environment.

3

BlackNosedOwl t1_jdyqxf1 wrote

I think gravity is a key to keep atmospheric gases trapped but Mars' gravity is much wealer and you can't just pump more gasses into thin atmosphere.

Building domes might be the future colony but they would need to build more reusable rockets, maybe they need to find some water for refueling the rockets.

1

SpartanJack17 t1_jdz8rkb wrote

Hello u/TheZogKing, your submission "Could we terraform mars with our current technology?" has been removed from r/space because:

  • Such questions should be asked in the "All space questions" thread stickied at the top of the sub.

Please read the rules in the sidebar and check r/space for duplicate submissions before posting. If you have any questions about this removal please message the r/space moderators. Thank you.

1

Reddit-runner t1_jdzaw0k wrote

Replying to CFCYYZ (#2,408,164)

>While we dream of making Mars look like Earth, we are busy making Earth look like Mars. Terraform Earth. It's easier, cheaper, faster, with benefits to every human.

Why tf is this the standard post every time anything about Mars gets posted?

What we do on earth is completely irrelevant to what we (can) do on Mars.

It's so sad to see that people can't hold two thoughts in their heads simultaneously.

It's always either. Either do something on Mars OR save earth? Why? Do you actually think humanity is unable to do more than one thing at a time? Or do you also advocate for stopping child cancer research until climate change is fixed?

2

Reddit-runner t1_jdzb2pg wrote

Replying to quequotion (#2,408,118)

We could deploy a big electromagnetic dipole at the Sun-Mars L1 point.

This would solve the solar wind problem and even reverse the atmosphere loss on its own.

NASA has already done a study on this and it looks promising (ie. Could work)

2