Re: Life on Mars ?



Blue wrote:
>
> The long term goal for the people of earth
> is existence. Not withstanding innate evolutionary
> changes. Will most likely need fuel if we are
> unable to harness the sun's energy in any
> decent short term fashion.
>
> Mining Mars would be easier if we didn't have
> to constantly wear suits etc. So an atmosphere
> would seem the ideal solution.

What *fuel* would we be mining on Mars (I really hope you're not
expecting to find oil)

>
> The problem here is the amount of oxygen
> in the atmosphere, and no highly toxic gases.

There is very little oxygen in Mars's atmosphere, and why do you want
toxic gases ?

>
> Now the planet could be oxygenated by plants
> giving off oxygen as a by-product to their
> breathing.

What plants, Mars appears to be pretty lifeless.

Allowing for the soil having enough
> positive nutrients they will need accessible water.

Ah , your talking about terraforming, why didn't you say so.

> Even if heating up the poles of Mars is possible.
> It took about 2 billion years for the earth's vegetation
> to expel the 21% of oxygen we have today.

Oxygen isn't the problem, there is loads of the stuff on Mars, mostly
its in the form FeO2
The problem will most likely be in finding sufficient nitrogen (or other
inert gases).


> Allowing for the breathing rate being slower on Mars,
> with it's further distance from the sun. The question
> must be, is there simply enough water on Mars for
> vegetation to convert into oxygen?

Irrelavent, there is a lot more Oxygen in the regolith than the water,
that can be released by plants (most ikely lichens and algea) also this
could be released by industrial methods.

>There having to
> be enough water for a couple of billion years, or more.

Thetime scale is Irrelavent the water does not need *to last* any
lenghth of time as it is recyclable.

I think you have very little understanding of this subject, try reading
'The case for Mars' by Robert Zubrin for starters (if you do then please
purchase it from http://www.marssociety.org.uk )

RaZe
RaZe.
.

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