• Question: Have you got any ideas about living on mars

    Asked by menu520suqs on 13 Feb 2025. This question was also asked by aced520scut.
    • Photo: Martin McCoustra

      Martin McCoustra answered on 13 Feb 2025:

      There was a very nice drama-documentary series on the National Geographic Channel a few years ago… that described a realistic scenario for the first mission to Mars and the early stages of us starting to colonise the planet.

    • Photo: Martin Pike

      Martin Pike answered on 10 Mar 2025:

      I know that I would not go! Even the journey there would be very difficult. There is very little knowledge of how humans react to reduced gravity (Martian gravity is only 38% that of Earth, as it is a smaller planet). The ISS and Mir space stations have/had microgravity – only a tiny amount (they are in free-fall towards the earth, but keep on missing). The moon has 16% gravity and is (only) 250 000 miles away. It would be a good place to trial living on another celestial body, before venturing to Mars. I think the US Artemis and Chinese plans are interesting. If you want a bit of (slightly cynical) fantasy – read ‘The Martian Chronicles’ by Ray Bradbury. I love the descriptions of martians in that book.

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