Mars Missions

[John Fedup]

Too bad Venus and Mars couldn’t be orbitally switched. A similar gravity and with some creative microbiology to utilize the CO2 along with SO2 removal, perhaps more potential as a human habitat in 100-200 years (assuming we survive that long).

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Too bad Venus and Mars couldn’t be orbitally switched. A similar gravity and with some creative microbiology to utilize the CO2 along with SO2 removal, perhaps more potential as a human habitat in 100-200 years (assuming we survive that long).

Well, even if that was possible (switching orbit and the removal of H2SO4) , the atmosphere of Venus is around 91× denser than Earth's atmosphere, with other words, the air pressure is around 92 bar. Besides that Venus lacks a planetary magnetic field, has a very thin ozon-layer and worst of all: it rotates the wrong direction!

So from all the planets in our solarsystem, Mars is still the most survivable. Mars lacks a magnetosphere, so solarwinds can cause a problem.
But with a normal Moon-spacesuite, humans should be able to survive on Mars.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Airbus Space will build the Mars Sample Return Earth Return Orbiter.

Mars Sample Return – Earth Return Orbiter

Mars Sample Return – Earth Return Orbiter

www.esa.int

Airbus bouwt sonde die Marsstenen terugbrengt naar aarde

De bouw van het 'ruimtevrachtschip' maakt deel uit van een groot, gezamenlijk miljardenproject van ruimtevaartorganisaties ESA en NASA.

nos.nl

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Watch live Thursday: NASA to launch Mars rover Perseverance to Red Planet

By Space.com Staff 4 hours ago

Liftoff is at 7:50 a.m. EDT (1150 GMT).

Rocket Lab will try to catch falling booster with helicopter today: Watch live

Liftoff is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 GMT).

www.space.com

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Emirates Mars Mission: Hope probe lines up historic Mars manoeuvre

The United Arab Emirates aims to put a probe in orbit at Mars to study its atmosphere.

www.bbc.com

The Hope spacecraft from the UAE is the first of three missions to arrive at the Red Planet this month. On Wednesday, the Chinese Tianwen-1 orbiter will also try to make it into orbit, while the Americans turn up on the 18th with another big rover.

In the past many space probes sent to Mars failed, so hopefully at least one will survive the voyage and enter orbit succesfully.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

So after the Soviet-Union/Rusia, US, India and UAE, China is now the fifth country which reached Mars.

The Tianwen 1 has also a rover onboard, which has yet to be named, and it looks a lot like the US space agency's (Nasa) Spirit and Opportunity rovers from the 2000s. It weighs some 240kg and is powered by fold-out solar panels. The rover is planned to be released later this year.

China Mars mission: Tianwen-1 spacecraft enters into orbit

A day after the UAE arrived at Mars, China says its Tianwen-1 mission is also now in orbit.

www.bbc.com

 

[bearnard19]

Well, even if that was possible (switching orbit and the removal of H2SO4) , the atmosphere of Venus is around 91× denser than Earth's atmosphere, with other words, the air pressure is around 92 bar. Besides that Venus lacks a planetary magnetic field, has a very thin ozon-layer and worst of all: it rotates the wrong direction!

So from all the planets in our solarsystem, Mars is still the most survivable. Mars lacks a magnetosphere, so solarwinds can cause a problem.
But with a normal Moon-spacesuite, humans should be able to survive on Mars.

But still, it would be difficult for humans to survive on Mars. We need to have special equipment to resist high level of radiation, low temperatur and harsh environment. Decades are needed to make such technology that can help us in that issue. However technology is a fast developing process and maybe I am mistaken.

 

[bearnard19]

Too bad Venus and Mars couldn’t be orbitally switched. A similar gravity and with some creative microbiology to utilize the CO2 along with SO2 removal, perhaps more potential as a human habitat in 100-200 years (assuming we survive that long).

Talking about Venus, I consider that impossible because of the atmospheric presure and high temperatur which makes impossible even to send there a crewed mission. The crew just wont be able to survive on this planet.

 

[John Fedup]

Well I guess there needs to be a search for an earth size moon orbiting one of the gas giants that has water, O2, some CO2 and a magnetosphere. Then we hire Captain Kirk and his ship equipped with a tractor beam to move it into Mars orbit and move Mars out. Failing that use his warp speed ship to find a ready made replacement for earth. Pretty sure I will never see tractor beans and warp speed technology in my lifetime.

 

[ngatimozart]

But still, it would be difficult for humans to survive on Mars. We need to have special equipment to resist high level of radiation, low temperatur and harsh environment. Decades are needed to make such technology that can help us in that issue. However technology is a fast developing process and maybe I am mistaken.

Talking about Venus, I consider that impossible because of the atmospheric presure and high temperatur which makes impossible even to send there a crewed mission. The crew just wont be able to survive on this planet.

Both of those are known quantities. I would agree about living on Venus at present because of the atmospheric pressure. However at some stage in the future, that may change due to technology advances.

With regard to Mars we have shown that we can already live in the zero gravity environment outside of our planet's protection against solar radiation and the temperature extremes of space. For humans to live on Mars it's an engineering problem now because we know the science. We know that water used to flow across the Martian surface and that some water still exists there. It's the just the engineering that has to be worked out.

 

[Ananda]

I would agree about living on Venus at present because of the atmospheric pressure. However at some stage in the future, that may change due to technology advances.

Many scientist believe if Humanity able master atmospheric technology, able to handle run away green gas problem, then Venus actually is better candidate for terraforming.

It's close to size of Earth, it's gravity 0.9+ of Earth, it has thick atmosphere and this indicating relative strong magnetic field. This means it's also have more abilities to withstand solar radiation compared to Mars. It also has indication that once in younger age, Venus has liquid water in surface. Thus if the problem with run away green gas in Venus can be handled, theoretically it will provide livable atmosphere. It still slightly hotter than earth (some talk about average 4-5 degrees Celsius then average on Earth). Thus means the average will be equatorial climate.

The attention now with Mars because it's the most probable planet for colonisation with current Humanity technology. The thing is Mars simply too small with much smaller magnetic field and much thinner atmosphere. There'll be difficulty for that kind of atmosphere and magnetic field to maintain liquid water in surface. The evaporation of ancient Mars ocean being blamed by small magnetic field that not able to withstand solar radiation for long period. Thus reduce the atmosphere, and thus the ocean in surface.

The most Human colonisation and terraforming in Mars can do is building subterranean cities (say 80% underground and 20% above), and using water for Mars Ice and potential underground water reservoir to live and farming. However building enough thick atmosphere for Mars will be as challenging as reduce temperature in Venus atmosphere. In such if time comes on Human Tech reach capabilities to build thick atmosphere on Mars, then it's also means we have tech to cold Venus atmosphere. Then Venus will then shown more attractiveness as human next home then Mars.

 

[bearnard19]

Both of those are known quantities. I would agree about living on Venus at present because of the atmospheric pressure. However at some stage in the future, that may change due to technology advances.

With regard to Mars we have shown that we can already live in the zero gravity environment outside of our planet's protection against solar radiation and the temperature extremes of space. For humans to live on Mars it's an engineering problem now because we know the science. We know that water used to flow across the Martian surface and that some water still exists there. It's the just the engineering that has to be worked out.

I agree that it`s achievable through technology but technology we have now is too weak to colonize or even to travel to Mars. Sending crewed mission to Mars might happen in the next 5 years I guess. But it will take much more time to colonize Mars, to devlop and create technology we need to survive there

 

[bearnard19]

A thing we have to consider too, if we wanna make a living on mars, would also be the irreversible consequences on our human biology. We can mimic a lot in closed facilities: atmosphere, ecosystems, probably even social live if we manage to get enough people there - but there's one thing we can't mimic and that's gravity. Mars only has a third of earth's gravity. Great for earthborns on mars probably, not so much for marsborns on earth. If you were born on mars or even spend a lot of time there, a return to earth might be fatal for you.
All I wanna say is, that if we - humans - colonize mars, our paths will split. An earth human can live on mars, but a mars human probably can't live on earth due to its high gravity. A great motivational factor if you are already there, but if you're still undecided, you have to keep in mind, that a stay on mars for at least ten years might be a one-way trip. No return, no familiy visits

 

[bearnard19]

Probably building the ISS in the orbit of Mars could be the best option in Mars colonization issue. But still, it would be difficult to do too. A we need to have more advanced technology for that mission to bring ISS to the orbit of Mars.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

The ISS partners are seriously planning for a space station orbiting the Moon, Lunar Gateway, much smaller than the ISS. Also Roskosmos is planning an own spacestation around the Moon, but until now it is not even sure if the OPSEK-program will continue .

NASA Plans to Build a Moon-Orbiting Space Station: Here's What You Should Know

Here's a primer on the Gateway, the moon-orbiting space station that NASA plans to start building in the next half-decade.

www.space.com

Europe will help build NASA's moon-orbiting Gateway space station

Europe will provide a habitat module and a refueling module for the Gateway outpost.

www.space.com

Because of the thin layer of atmosphere and a greater gravitation, Mars will be slightly more liveable than the Moon. The protective gear, vehicles and living quarters for on the Moon should be safe enough to be used on Mars. And like Ananda already said, there are plans to construct a Mars-base partly underground, to protect humans against radiation.

 

[Ananda]

There are studies from NASA and other space agencies on using artificial gravity for long term out off Earth expedition. The study Involved not only artificial gravity on the space vessels but also on the ground colony (try to up load one of the study but it's too big).

One of the study for ground colony (which consider achievable under current tech) involve building all the modules on centrifugal rails, thus all the colony modules spin on centrifugal rotation that create gravity near earth level. This especially for living quarters and working modules.

Point is, all the space agencies already see problem of gravity adjustment for long term Astronauts in say Moon or Mars where the Gravity much lower than earth. Thus long term exposure for Earth like gravity need to be maintain whether in their vessels or colonies modules. Thus even someday there're children born in Moon or Mars colonies, they have to be born in near earth gravity.

This's shown that colonists on off the Earth settlement being prepared to operate on long term toward Earth like conditions as much as possible. This's why many scientist as I put in my previous post, think more on Venus as suitable next human home, rather than Mars. Eventough all still in theory as the technology to coling down Venus atmosphere is mind boggling.

 

[ngatimozart]

The ISS partners are seriously planning for a space station orbiting the Moon, Lunar Gateway, much smaller than the ISS. Also Roskosmos is planning an own spacestation around the Moon, but until now it is not even sure if the OPSEK-program will continue .

NASA Plans to Build a Moon-Orbiting Space Station: Here's What You Should Know

Here's a primer on the Gateway, the moon-orbiting space station that NASA plans to start building in the next half-decade.

www.space.com

Europe will help build NASA's moon-orbiting Gateway space station

Europe will provide a habitat module and a refueling module for the Gateway outpost.

www.space.com

Because of the thin layer of atmosphere and a greater gravitation, Mars will be slightly more liveable than the Moon. The protective gear, vehicles and living quarters for on the Moon should be safe enough to be used on Mars. And like Ananda already said, there are plans to construct a Mars-base partly underground, to protect humans against radiation.

That's interesting about the Lunar Gateway because Rocket Lab will be launching a Cubesat to the moon as part of NASA's return to the moon. The launch is due in the 2nd quarter this year. Most of their launches are from their NZ launch pad, but this launch will be from their US launch site. So this is the start of manned missions to the moon again and beyond.

Rocket Lab Readies Photon Spacecraft for NASA Moon Mission | Rocket Lab

*Rocket Lab Readies Photon Spacecraft for NASA Moon Mission*

www.rocketlabusa.com

 

[bearnard19]

The ISS partners are seriously planning for a space station orbiting the Moon, Lunar Gateway, much smaller than the ISS. Also Roskosmos is planning an own spacestation around the Moon, but until now it is not even sure if the OPSEK-program will continue .

NASA Plans to Build a Moon-Orbiting Space Station: Here's What You Should Know

Here's a primer on the Gateway, the moon-orbiting space station that NASA plans to start building in the next half-decade.

www.space.com

Europe will help build NASA's moon-orbiting Gateway space station

Europe will provide a habitat module and a refueling module for the Gateway outpost.

www.space.com

Because of the thin layer of atmosphere and a greater gravitation, Mars will be slightly more liveable than the Moon. The protective gear, vehicles and living quarters for on the Moon should be safe enough to be used on Mars. And like Ananda already said, there are plans to construct a Mars-base partly underground, to protect humans against radiation.

I assume the bigger problem is to bringing ISS to the Mars orbit. It is proved by the fact that we haven`t even made a crewed mission there yet. I guess that we will be able to make conclusions after a crewed mission on the red planet but still, I guess that we have weak technology for that.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

I assume the bigger problem is to bringing ISS to the Mars orbit. It is proved by the fact that we haven`t even made a crewed mission there yet. I guess that we will be able to make conclusions after a crewed mission on the red planet but still, I guess that we have weak technology for that.

Wait, you really mean moving the entire existing International Space Station from LEO to an orbit around Mars!?

Thats just impossible. Even in separated modules it would be riskful, complicated, expensive and unpractical.

There are also no serious plans to bring a space station in orbit around Mars. The construction of the Lunar Gateway will start in 2024m at the earliest, but looking the the current situation on our planet it could be easily moved backwards/delayed with a couple of years.

 

[ngatimozart]

I assume the bigger problem is to bringing ISS to the Mars orbit. It is proved by the fact that we haven`t even made a crewed mission there yet. I guess that we will be able to make conclusions after a crewed mission on the red planet but still, I guess that we have weak technology for that.

There is no intention to move the ISS into Martian orbit.

Where did you get that idea from? If you have a source for it post it. If you haven't, don't make unsubstantiated claims, otherwise you will have the Moderators being grumpy with you. I strongly recommend that you read the rules .