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The “toxic” part of the soil, perchlorates, are easy to process and remove. There is no evidence that 1/3 Gee won’t be fine for humans to live in. NASA has alr
by valuearb 5y ago
The “toxic” part of the soil, perchlorates, are easy to process and remove.
There is no evidence that 1/3 Gee won’t be fine for humans to live in. NASA has already figured out how to have humans life in zero fee for long periods (low rep, high force exercises).
Mars had enough sunlight to power solar panels and grow plants.
Spinning space stations have their use as well, but have to import 100% of resources. Mars is lousy with water, CO2, and easily accessible elements such as Iron.
- zabzonk 5y ago> The “toxic” part of the soil, perchlorates, are easy to process and remove. On a planetary scale? How?
- deviation 5y agoAssuming a para-terraforming model there might not be a need to cater for a planetary scale removal I suppose.
- valuearb 5y agoWhy would you need to do it on a planetary scale? Just the soil colonists will be using is all you need.
- FredPret 5y agoSo... only that part of the soil that gets picked up by the famous Martian dust storms then? Aka the entire surface?
- valuearb 5y agoNothing will be grown outside on Mars for hundreds of years. Even with an active terraforming operation, they will need some kind of dome enclosures to provide enough air pressure to grow plants for centuries. Until then, just rinse off your suit and boots when you enter the dome.
- hinkley 5y agoMars might end up being Archaea's time to shine, assuming they aren't there already. Apparently they and some bacteria can eat it as well. It's likely that you feed yourself with hydroponics, and use the waste materials and imported inoculate to start a composting operation, where, like earth gardeners, you feed a little bit of dirt into each batch. If you can tune that to break down perchlorates, then soon you'll have compost you can grow more food in, at which point you start getting compound interest. Assuming, that is, that you send actual soil scientists and not industrial ag people, who think soil is something you wear out and then buy at a store.
- cwkoss 5y agoStrongman competitions in 1/3 gee are going to be so ridiculous.
- cwkoss 5y agoPersonally I'm more excited to strap on wings and flap around high pressure low grav domes.