Re: Life on Mars ?

Rafe Zetter wrote:
>
> 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)

Why not. Do you know the planet never had life?

> > 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 ?

The desired affect is oxygen minus the toxic gases,
though I except that when oxygen appeared on earth
it was toxic to life forms at that time.

> > 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.

Yes, we have to put plants there of course.
That's not to say that non oxygen dependent life
forms can't be living there.

> Allowing for the soil having enough
> > positive nutrients they will need accessible water.
>
> Ah , your talking about terraforming, why didn't you say so.

Because I don't post for people who are that high.

> > 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

Pointless, as the first oxygen on earth went into the
earth and not the atmosphere. The first oxygen on
Mars would go into the soil.

> The problem will most likely be in finding sufficient nitrogen (or other
> inert gases).

Oxygen tanks aren't full of Nitrogen.

> > 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.

Again, Oxygen will go everywhere before there's an
excess in the atmosphere.

> >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.

Unless after water splitting, hydrogen floats off into space.

> 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 )

Seeing as I'm not an affiliate of that organization
I already know they don't know enough.
.

Relevant Pages

  • The formation of our earths atmosphere!
    ... point or another in my long life upon this earth. ... other locations, and by the force of gravity, these ... some of the water and gases would have ... Now the firmament is our atmosphere. ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Is it this easy to live on Mars?
    ... Here is the data on Earth's atmosphere ... Oxygen is 27,000x more plentiful on Earth ... Water vapor 6,700x more plentiful on Earth ... Nitrogen and water take even less effort to extract from Mars' ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Modest Proposal - Common Interplanetary Booster
    ... the idea of using Mars water and a solar or nuclear power ... Pressurizing the mars atmosphere to grow crops would also ... atmosphere to Earth normal pressure, in two days, and keep it there. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Life on Mars ?
    ... Life on earth has been around for about 4 Billion years ... anyway) within a 150 year period, then Mars will have at most enough oil ... >>> in the atmosphere, ... >>> positive nutrients they will need accessible water. ...
    (uk.politics.misc)
  • Re: Ken Ham Lies about Mars and the Flood
    ... > water in sight while Earth is loaded with water. ... > _All_ the flooding proposed for Mars was very much local. ... there ever could have been a global flood. ...
    (talk.origins)