To Terraform or not to Terraform?

[mistermack]

I'm sure it's completely impractical, and the gains would be miniscule, compared to the costs.
Mars has no significant magnetic field, so radiation would always be at dangerous levels. And it's not sure if you could ever recreate the ozone layer we have here on earth. You could never walk around on the surface without protection. Also, the gravity is a third of that on earth, so there would be long term health problems.

I'm sure Mars will be exploited, and mined, in the future. But it won't be terraformed. People will do short-term stints in mines etc, but most of the work would probably be done remotely with robotic machinery, controlled from space stations.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I notice no body had any serious objections to my V.M. idea, and yet I see people saying it can't be done. (Living on Mars, that is.) So tell me, what's wrong with my idea?

[Trolldor]

I notice no body had any serious objections to my V.M. idea, and yet I see people saying it can't be done. (Living on Mars, that is.) So tell me, what's wrong with my idea?

Nothing, particularly, but I think we'd be going in to the technicalities none of which we know.

[Trolldor]

I can't see how that works.

Surprise.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I notice no body had any serious objections to my V.M. idea, and yet I see people saying it can't be done. (Living on Mars, that is.) So tell me, what's wrong with my idea?

Nothing, particularly, but I think we'd be going in to the technicalities none of which we know.

And we have exactly the same problem with terraforming the whole planet.

[Trolldor]

Yes, but at least we could spend some time investing in the idea.

It would require a global effort though.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Yes, but at least we could spend some time investing in the idea.

One of us isn't making any sense.

It would require a global effort though.

The V.M. project would require much less effort.

[Trolldor]

Yes, but at least we could spend some time investing in the idea.

One of us isn't making any sense.

It would require a global effort though.

The V.M. project would require much less effort.

Both of us make sense, we're just on the wrong topics.


I'm saying that the problems with technicalities could be better understood if there was a serious investment in to the idea.
And this be on all levels, professional and lay alike.

Secondly, in order for it to progress faster a globally co-operative effort would be the best solution.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Yes, but at least we could spend some time investing in the idea.

One of us isn't making any sense.

It would require a global effort though.

The V.M. project would require much less effort.

Both of us make sense, we're just on the wrong topics.


I'm saying that the problems with technicalities could be better understood if there was a serious investment in to the idea.
And this be on all levels, professional and lay alike.

Secondly, in order for it to progress faster a globally co-operative effort would be the best solution.

Okay, clear now. It's late here.

For the VM project we would need a source for the "roof" supports, an iron asteroid for example, and a source for the glass or plastic roof. OR we could use transparent inflatable tubes to span the gap. One psi difference in pressure kept a dome over an ice skating rink in Japan, and it would be easy to patch. After the roof is on we concentrate the atmosphere with pumps and proceed with the gardening. If we chose the tapering end of a side valley we could add new sections outward from the original area in incremental stages. The old "outer wall" becomes an emergency bulkhead.

[Trolldor]

Have to be careful of the Murlocks though..

[mistermack]

For the VM project we would need a source for the "roof" supports, an iron asteroid for example, and a source for the glass or plastic roof. OR we could use transparent inflatable tubes to span the gap. One psi difference in pressure kept a dome over an ice skating rink in Japan, and it would be easy to patch. After the roof is on we concentrate the atmosphere with pumps and proceed with the gardening. If we chose the tapering end of a side valley we could add new sections outward from the original area in incremental stages. The old "outer wall" becomes an emergency bulkhead.

At 1psi above martian atmospheric pressure, your eyballs would boil, as would all your bodily fluids, eventually.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

For the VM project we would need a source for the "roof" supports, an iron asteroid for example, and a source for the glass or plastic roof. OR we could use transparent inflatable tubes to span the gap. One psi difference in pressure kept a dome over an ice skating rink in Japan, and it would be easy to patch. After the roof is on we concentrate the atmosphere with pumps and proceed with the gardening. If we chose the tapering end of a side valley we could add new sections outward from the original area in incremental stages. The old "outer wall" becomes an emergency bulkhead.

At 1psi above martian atmospheric pressure, your eyballs would boil, as would all your bodily fluids, eventually.

The pressure I spoke of was in the inflatable tubes, not in the living space. It just has to be a bit higher that the pressure outside the tube to keep it rigid.

[Atheist-Lite]

Nuclear rockets might be bad for the environment but have the capability to put a lot of mass into orbit. It might be possible to put enough terraforming equipment to siphon part of the earths atomosphere and terraform the moon. Yes, it would be temporary with any lunar atmosphere quickly leaking away but has anyone done the equations? It might be possible to produce a stable shallow but adequate atmosphere that could last several thousand years?

[mistermack]

I can't see the point in terraforming any moon or planet, if you can't produce an atmosphere that filters out cosmic and solar radiation.
On Earth, we are blessed with our magnetic field, and ozone layer. If you can't recreate that, then people and plants are always going to need sheilding.
And you would also need reasonably high atmospheric pressure, or plants and animals would just lose their moisture to boiling or rapid evaporation.
.

[eXcommunicate]

I personally enjoy the idea of smacking Mars with a comet every 100 years or so. Good clean fun.