Posted on 10/31/2022 4:01:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin
In a presentation earlier this month, a team of researchers from The Geological Society of America (GSA)identified nine of what they believe to be the most livable caves on the surface of Mars — spaces large enough that they could give future explorers much-needed protection from the harsh environment of the planet's surface, The New York Times reports.
The Red Planet is a hostile place: temperatures can drop to below negative 148 degrees Fahrenheit, the atmosphere is incredibly thin, and there's no ozone layer, which means solar radiation is extreme as well. And that's not to mention the very real risk of getting hit by a massive meteorite.
In short, the best place to survive is very likely underground.
The researchers narrowed down their list of hot Martian real estate by starting with the Mars Global Cave Candidate Catalog, a massive collection of over 1,000 caves identified by NASA's Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which could potentially house human astronauts.
They whittled the list down to the best options by finding those within 60 miles of a potential landing site, and below around 3,300 feet of elevation, which could give descent vehicles more time as they experience their "seven minutes of terror" during their journey down to the surface.
(Excerpt) Read more at futurism.com ...
“Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise a kid. In fact it’s cold as hell.”
take a few good nukes, make our own
The people most convinced science is fully capable of creating a livable environment on Mars for a permanent colony of humans also seem to be the people most convinced that climate change on Earth is an unsolvable problem.
In reality, even if the engineering is possible (which it is so long as they solve the radiation problem, it’s just a matter of whether or not people want to spend the money to do it), any Mars colony would be a totalitarian nightmare.
Eat what you are served, work where you are told, consume only the resources you are allotted and surrender those resources when instructed without protest for the greater good. Breed when you are permitted. Die when the expense of your life falls below your utility. And that’s assuming there’s only one Mars colony and everyone gets along. The cheerleaders for this idea just think that they’re going to be the ones making those calls.
Don’t forget the toxic chemicals in the soil (perchlorate).:
(https://www.cnet.com/science/martian-soil-turns-up-toxic-chemical/
Bring certain to bring your Government issued Flyswatters
and Bear Spray with you!
We’re not going to Mars. It’s just BS for NASA budgets, their private cronies and world bragging rights. Hell, we can’t even get back to the Moon.
What's in a name? I have a cartouche that literally came from Cydonia [קידוניה] many years ago, complete with this detail: 𓇌 the double yod, so I'm good.
That family's business even installed a wind farm at the place of first light.. power, koach (28 turbines).
A Mars outpost wouldn’t be much different than a European fort or trading outpost in Asia during the age of sail. Extremely dangerous, very uncomfortable however if gaining the scientific knowledge that’s there is judged to be that important. Then that would be the only reason for doing it. Death rate from disease (or from natives!) like the British (or Dutch) East India Company experienced might not be there but death by radiation exposure & accidents will certainly be there and more so. If things went bad the British\Dutch traders might survive by going native. You’re not going to have that choice on Mars. Unless Marvin Martian or Uncle Martin are real!
Thanks BenLurkin.
Since Mars Insight began monitoring seismic events on Mars it recorded many tectonic events, and many asteroid impacts. However a new study looks at two of the largest events, one on December 21st 2021 created a large 150meter crater and was likely caused by an asteroid weighing 500 tons travelling at 7-8 kilometers per second. Images of the crater appear to show bright spots in the ejecta, possibly ice from a sub surface permafrost layer.
The event also allowed the planetary scientists to observe the behaviour of Mars' interior and come up with new understanding of the geology.NASA Spacecraft 'Hears' Massive Explosion On Mars,
Finds Crater Bigger Than Football Field!
Scott Manley | October 30, 2022
Uncle Bob?
They gotta make sure there are no poisonous gases which are venting from the deep rocks of Mars and could corrode and/of diffuse their way through the protective barriers. The possibility of a Marsquake destroying a cave complex is something to consider.
I think we’ll go anyway(we only got about 9(?) years left on earth.)
GMAFB.
Until there’s a breakthrough in propulsion and energy, any manned Mars mission is a one-way trip.
Let’s get back to the Moon and work things out a lot closer to home until such a time.
Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids.
The biggest difference is the complete reliance upon existing supplies and resources that you brought or can make. There's no option to live off the land or even strike put on your own and camp away from the rest of the crew until things settle down. If something goes wrong and 30% of your food spoils or is lost, you have to either eat less or sacrifice people. Same with oxygen. Spare part breaks that can't be repaired, or a storm compromises a portion of the habitat, bad things happen quickly that require immediate consideration of awful consequences.
Agree!
For anything like that to work. There needs to be a warehouse of redundant spare parts\supplies on Mars’s surface with another one in orbit. The one in orbit must spare living quarters and most importantly reliable and multiply redundant shuttle between orbit and surface.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
