It is well known that Mars has been identified as a planet with a habit configuration similar to that of the Earth. There are a few key things required for human survival. Life on earth is possible due to a certain distance that it is from the Sun, the existence of oxygen in air and water. Mars has a similar size, orientation and composition and most importantly the indication of the presence of water. Thus, it has become a promising planet that humans might be able to colonize one day. There are several things that come into our mind when we think about who is going to do the colonising and how.
The first step will be figuring out a way to reach a human on Mars. Mars rovers have walked on the surface but no human has yet been able to set foot on Mars. This is going to be a difficult task to carry. Compare this to the landing of humans on the Moon. The first feat is regarding the massive distance that needs to be travelled in space, without combusting in the path, of course. The Moon is approximately four hundred thousand kilometres away from the Earth. Thus, when humans were trying to send man to the Moon, they had a huge traversal to make. The journey to Mars will be two hundred times that to the Moon. This in itself will be a huge task. The speed and mass dynamics need to be regulated really carefully in order to carry this out.
Musk’s SpaceX aims at doing exactly that by creating a stepwise structure for this successful landing. It further aims at looking into what could be a sustainable form of life on the Red Planet. The next hundred years or sooner is the time span they are looking at.
Struggles beyond sending man on Mars
There are several plans and theories that have been established to make man walk on Mars. If at all, this is made to be possible within the next century, it would not be the end to all concerns regarding the conquest of Mars. Even if humans can readily reach Mars there is no way of guaranteeing a systematic survival on a new planet. The atmospherical differences would be the first barrier to deal with. The dust and sand would make the building of structures and establishing a settlement difficult. Help would have to be taken in the form of raw materials and resources from the Earth until we learn how to extract newer resources on the destined planet. There is still a lot that is not known about the nature of existence on Mars. Botanists and doctors would play a really significant role in creating any progress of survival on the planet.
There are limitless uncertainties which could make life crumble, away from Earth even when the materials for basic survival are found. Food would eventually become an issue for permanent inhabitation. In the prior years, massive export will be required from the Earth. However, eventually, there will have to be a source of food on the plane, for any kind of long term survival. Would the soil be fit for Agriculture? Even if it is, what effects will the air have on the growth of these plantations without making them toxic for consumption? These are key questions that will need to be answered before any commitment of moving civilians to the planet can be made. There are no animals that have yet been discovered on the red soil, thus plantations seem to be the logical option for food reserves. Extensive research will be carried out in this field if and when we reach that stage.
The issues of disease management on an unknown territory will be another prime concern. When on a new terrain there is no rule book for what could kill you. There could be microorganisms alien to the Earth that could spread disease and illness. There could be the possibility of other species which will compete for their habitat. There are many unknowns that will need to be conquered for successful survival in the Red terrain.
Final Words
Thus, the possibility of arriving on the planet Mars is evident in the near future. How near is for us to find out. For a successful transition and adaptation in this process, we need to establish strong policies regarding the exploration and research on the planet. There might be a need to formulate laws of governance that would be followed to avoid chaos. However, all these are far fetched ideas. With passionate enthusiasts in this domain, humans can start their quest in even a decades time with the advent of man on Mars.
