Why TerraformMer Mars?
Mars fascinates as much as it scares. It has long appeared as the best candidate for a second land. Its severity is sufficient (about 38 % of that of the earth) to potentially maintain an atmosphere in the long term and avoid too much degradation of the human body. Her day, called “soil”, lasts 24 hours and 37 minutes, which makes her very close to the land circadian cycle – a huge advantage for sleep, productivity and mental health.
Despite everything, the red planet remains hostile to life as we know it. Its atmosphere, composed of 95 % carbon dioxide, is indeed very tenuous: the pressure on the surface is only 600 Pascals, or about 0.6 % of that of the earth at sea level. In other words, it is the equivalent of the earthly atmosphere … 35 kilometers of altitude. No human being would survive a few seconds without protection.
And that's not all: because of this low pressure, liquid water cannot exist permanently on the surface – it would evaporate or freeze instantly. Worse, the average temperature on Mars is around -63 ° C, with falls up to -140 ° C at night. Add to that an absence of a protective magnetic field, which lets high levels of cosmic radiation pass, and you have the perfect cocktail … for the instant death of an unaffected human.
This is where terraformation comes in. The idea is to modify the Martian environment to make it more livable, by increasing atmospheric pressure, raising temperature and introducing breathable gases such as oxygen. A denser atmosphere would also make it possible to further filter harmful radiation and prevent water loss by sublimation.
Czechowski's cometary plan
TERRAFORMER MARS is therefore not a simple fantasy of science fiction, but an absolute necessity if one day we wish to establish a lasting human colony there. And faced with this immense challenge, a Polish scientist offers an idea as daring as it is spectacular.
During an international conference on the planetary sciences, the geophysicist Leszek Czechowski, of the Polish Academy of Sciences, presented a radical plan: bombing March with frozen bodies from the Kuiper belt-this distant region of the solar system located beyond Neptune.
The objective? Transform the Martian atmosphere. Because these objects are rich in essential volatile compounds: water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, methane … that is everything that is sorely lacking in the red planet to make it more hospital. With each impact, these materials would be released in the atmosphere, gradually thickening its density and triggering a controlled greenhouse effect which would warmize the surface.
But making comets rain on Mars is nothing simple. Czechowski imagines missions capable of moving blocks several kilometers in diameter through the solar system. For this, it would be necessary to develop still nonexistent propulsion technologies today, such as giant ion engines or on -board thermonuclear reactors. The trip from the Kuiper belt could last 30 to 60 years, and it would probably be necessary to send dozens, even hundreds of objects to reach a significant effect.
Once a primitive atmosphere in place – more dense, warmer and charged with carbon dioxide – a second phase of the project could start. Czechowski then proposes to introduce genetically modified microorganisms, capable of transforming oxygen carbon dioxide via photosynthesis. Slowly, these artificial life forms “would work” Martian air to make it more and more breathable.
Ultimately, Mars may not look like the earth … but it might become enough habitable to accommodate humans without a staphander, at least under a pressurized dome, with a minimum of protection.
Source: Istock
Why not closer asteroids?
Czechowski has considered other sources. The asteroids of the main belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, are much closer … But they are essentially rocky, and therefore poor in volatile elements useful for terrofling.
As for the Oort cloud, even richer in ice than the Kuiper belt, it is located so far that it would take several millennia to bring it objects.
The colossal challenges to overcome
This plan, however great, is not free from major problems. First, it would be based on technologies that do not yet exist. The propulsion of large objects through the solar system is far from controlled.
Then, the energy cost of the project would be astronomical: the equivalent of several years of world consumption just for the transport of projectiles.
Finally, there is the risk of poorly controlled impacts. A poorly oriented comet could strike too violently, destabilize the rotation axis of Mars … or even escape from its trajectory and go for the earth. Not to mention the geological consequences: earthquakes, eruptions, upheaval of the relief.
Not for tomorrow, but maybe for the day after tomorrow
TERRAFORMER Mars will therefore remain a dream for a long time. But ideas like that of Czechowski have a real interest: they push to imagine what a post-terre civilization could do, capable of manipulating planets on a cosmic scale.
If one day we become an interplanetary species, we will have to consider radical solutions. And why not this one? After all, the future often belongs to those who dare the unthinkable.
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
