Life on Mars is a dream long held – and not just for David Bowie.
The idea of settling on the Red Planet has been around for decades. But ask when and you’ll be told ‘one day’.
The planet holds similarities to own – in its composition, seasons and surface features – but the goal of humans touching down is far more complex.
Any of us bold enough to brave the new world would have to live within pressurised habitats and learn to cope with some pretty extreme temperatures.
But since Nasa has its eye on sending humans there as early as the 2030s, Metro asked Shutterstock’s AI to generate some images on what life could really look like on Mars.
Sending humans to Mars is a goal seen as attainable by rocket scientists – and we all know how clever they are. If experts can plot an optimal path to the planet, it could be possible to travel there in a spacecraft in six to eight months.
And considering the stranded astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) will be up there for roughly that timeline anyway, we know its possible for humans to spend that long in space’s environment.
Basic facts about Mars
- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun
- One Martian year is the equivalent to 687 Earth days
- One Martian day is equivalent to 24 hours and 37 minutes
- It has two moons: Phobos and Deimos
- Sunsets appear blue on the planet
- The planet is prone to massive and frequent dust storms
We also know landing shouldn’t be an issue as robots like Perseverance and Opportunity have roamed Mars’ surface with no problems.
How can humans survive on Mars?
No matter where we go, humans will always need breathable air, food, water and shelter. Settling on Mars would mean we would also need sources of fuel and power.
One of the first challenges for anyone settling on Mars would be to address those key issues and gather what resources they can from the seemingly barren planet – known as ‘in-situ resource utilisation’.
One of the technologies proposed is to extract oxygen from the atmosphere. This already exists as Nasa’s Perseverance rover has its Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment, or MOXIE for short. The device can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen at the same rate as one small tree on Earth.
This roughly equates to enough oxygen produced over two years for a human to survive 3.5 hours. So this would obviously need to be hugely upscaled.
Water is already on Mars, but it exists in ice form and is mixed with carbon dioxide. However, Nasa says they are developing life support systems that can regenerate or recycle water, known as the Water Recovery System, and they are testing this out on the ISS.
There’s also the small matter of the weather. The average temperature on Mars is a rather chilly -63°C, so we’ll need plenty of space on the rockets for big coats.
Temperatures at the poles go as low as -123°C so it’s best to avoid them if you want to keep your toes, but it can reach 20°C at the equator in summer so bring the deck chairs too.
How can we grow plants on Mars?
According to the AI’s pictures, some plants on Mars can grow with no support. However, that’s probably not the case. Nasa are currently conducting experiments to grow crops under LED lights in simulated Mars soil.
Nasa is also growing plants using hydroponic techniques, which involves keeping plants rooted in nutrient-enriched water and, thanks to data gathered by landers and rovers, scientists on Earth can create soil mixes that are similar to Mars, both chemically and structurally.
However, these plants would have to be carefully monitored, and would need to be exposed to nutrient mist that can help them grow. Failure in that could result in a disastrous loss of crops.
How can we build shelter on Mars?
Living on Mars will be no easy feat. Building viable living quarters would require an inflatable habitat that can be covered with a protective shell.
But does Mars have any resources we could use to create shelters? Martian soil is known as ‘regolith’, consisting of inorganic dust and broken-up rock.
Some areas of the surface and subsurface also contain clays and basalt, and there is a strong mineral presence including iron oxides, or rust, which give Mars its iconic hue.
When developing any form of shelter, we would need to keep in mind Mars’ extreme temperature changes. It can reach daytime highs of 20°C and nighttime lows of -73°C at the height of summer.
We will also have to find methods to build shelter using technologies that minimise the power needed to heat Martian habitats.
What would life on Mars be like?
It would be hard. On Earth, there is less resistance to us being here. The air is mostly breathable, and there are natural resources of food and water.
Although the climate is changing due to global warming, humans can settle pretty much anywhere on the planet with adequate shelter.
While the Earth gifts us resources to survive, Mars would not. Landing on the Red Planet for a quick visit is one thing, establishing it as a long-term home is another altogether – despite how easy AI might make it look.
MORE: Inside Trump’s $500,000,000,000 Stargate project with AI leaders
MORE: Major retailer will start scanning your face if you buy knives online
MORE: Six planets will align in rare parade tonight – here’s the best way to see spectacle
