All very nice but the most logical first step would be to identify a a sub branch of that massive valley that could be closed over and lined to provide habitable space. These could be expanded and grown rather quickly. There are literally thousands of them. Truss construction is light weight and pretty cheap as is spraying concrete to line the walls. There is no doubt plenty of suitable material to make Martian concrete. I'd even bet that there is oil and gas under the surface. The notion that it comes from dead dinosaurs is a myth.
Habitats on Mars will have to start with domes that will allow humans to work and grow plants. They will have to have an underground sleeping and living space with multi redundant air locks. Building "Marshab" will be costly in both lives and Time, as to have an engineering failure will cost the lives of everyone on that side of the airlock. The movies like to depict something akin to a pressurized tent. But the first sand storm or meteor shower will turn that into a deathtrap. It can be done. But it will not be cheap, and the first few hundred colonist are destined for short lives and violent deaths. NASA likes to toss the word "Fronteer" around a lot. Sometimes I wonder if they know how right they are.---Ray
All very nice but the most logical first step would be to identify a a sub branch of that massive valley that could be closed over and lined to provide habitable space. These could be expanded and grown rather quickly. There are literally thousands of them. Truss construction is light weight and pretty cheap as is spraying concrete to line the walls. There is no doubt plenty of suitable material to make Martian concrete. I'd even bet that there is oil and gas under the surface. The notion that it comes from dead dinosaurs is a myth.
ReplyDeleteThanks and fascinating.
DeleteHabitats on Mars will have to start with domes that will allow humans to work and grow plants. They will have to have an underground sleeping and living space with multi redundant air locks. Building "Marshab" will be costly in both lives and Time, as to have an engineering failure will cost the lives of everyone on that side of the airlock. The movies like to depict something akin to a pressurized tent. But the first sand storm or meteor shower will turn that into a deathtrap. It can be done. But it will not be cheap, and the first few hundred colonist are destined for short lives and violent deaths. NASA likes to toss the word "Fronteer" around a lot. Sometimes I wonder if they know how right they are.---Ray
ReplyDeleteThanks and I'd rather be a door gunner than the first there. :)
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