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NASA's Mars Science Laboratory |OT| 2,000 Pounds of Science!
- Thread starter DrForester
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Yeah, but I was thinking that recently most agree that the meteorite ALH84001 did contain fossilized bacteria from Mars. Maybe I'm wrong though.
Edit: I see you said multi cell, at least Curiosity has the tools to photograph microscopic fossils if they are there.
It's a tiny planet, it leaked heat.
More like good for those, the one on the "sunny side" are burned to death because of the growing sun.
not enough gravity, thin atmosphere
Earth is going to dry up, but it's not going to be from cooling. It's going to be from heating up.
Partial Gamification
Banned
The Soviets would have flaunted a probe landing on Mars and would have little reason to hide such an endeavor. The Chinese would need to travel back from the future to get a probe on Mars thirty years ago. A covert spacecraft would be difficult to hide if it was to regulary send communications back to Earth.
More like good for those, the one on the "sunny side" are burned to death because of the growing sun.
Great tanning weather!
There was likely an internal debate about it at JPL that came down to reducing weight.
Manos: The Hans of Fate
Banned
I recall someone claiming in an issue of Science or Popular Mechanics claiming (I only skimmed the article in a Borders) a few years ago that the radiation is to intense for humans to go to Mars. Is there any validity to that claim?
I know similar claims were made about the Van Allen Belts (and that still that long term habitation isn't possible) in regards to the Apollo Program.
We are very fortunate to have Mars. We have so much to learn from it and it's a (relatively) short trip to get there.
It's almost like a perfect laboratory waiting to be opened up and played with. Hopefully enough people (with power) keep viewing it that way and not just another dead rock like the cynics do.
It's almost like a perfect laboratory waiting to be opened up and played with. Hopefully enough people (with power) keep viewing it that way and not just another dead rock like the cynics do.
.....our ancestors?
I am not sure, but it shouldn't be any worse than what astronauts go through on the way to the moon...the difference is the length of stay. I think the bigger problem is that the dust in mars, which is all pervasive, can carry an electric charge, often quite powerful which will really fuck with survival systems if we attempted to go.
RumblingRosco
Member
Yeah, just read that on Wikipedia. Didn't realize it was so thin. Too bad, that would have been cool.
While on Wiki, I also found this picture of a Martian sunset. Amazing.
(Click for full resolution)
I visited the wiki page but can't find the photo. How was it captured?
Partial Gamification
Banned
There is a maximum amount of radiation that an astronaut is allowed to be exposed to (a value that is totaled throughout all space-flights). The measurements that MSL took en route to Mars showed tenths of lifetime exposure on the one-way voyage. So, current radiation shielding would likely make a trip to Mars and back cap the radiation threshold for astronaut eligibility. People could survive the trip, but there is a possibility that intense radiation could flare-up along the way; and so, the better our measurements of this, the better our chances to prepare and survive for such events.
I remember reading a program about new age propulsion systems that started discussing how it would cut the travel time to mars by months and make it a feasible trip. The only thing to look out for would be a big solar flare on our route to the planet.
There is a MEGAOUTFLO hypothesis about a cyclic wet (maybe warm) mars. So Mars could be just in a dormant part of it's cycle and "wake" up one day soon. Although the odds of it happening while we're around is slim. Unless we somehow engineer one of these events, we could make the plant habitable within a, relatively, short time frame.
Partial Gamification
Banned
Terraformed Mars rendering:
Terraformed Mars rendering:
So much land to fight over!
Neuromancer
Member
I'm so thereTerraformed Mars rendering:
Manos: The Hans of Fate
Banned
Isn't that one of the reasons suggesting the initial trips only be one way, compared often to the initial colonization of the new world, as a way around it.
Terraformed Mars rendering:
I want to go fishing there.
SniperHunter
Banned
Wait, how does the core freeze? I still don't understand how the Earth's core works. Why do the planets closest to the sun have cores, while the planets far away don't? Is it because iron only accumulates close to the star formation zone?
wow this is very interesting, I need to read up on this.
Diablohead
Member
Terraformed Mars rendering:
i'd live there
Manos: The Hans of Fate
Banned
Watch The Dalek Invasion of Earth for a good explanation.
But the Chinese travel back in time from the far future to help Russia, but are suddenly trapped by the Russians in time.
Heavy.
Partial Gamification
Banned
I'm sure this plays a part but the bigger concern is the required fuel for the return trip. Taking all that weight to Mars would be impractical with current chemical rockets.
I posted this video before but it is worth the 45 minutes to watch and explains the difficulties of launch.
[edit:]
Check-out the Obama is a chrononaught conspiracies.
He went to Mars and fought some big Jabba-the-Hutt-like Rancor
It's from this page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars
The picture was taken by Spirit Rover at Gusev Crater in 2005.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
I'm still fascinated by how certain bodies in the solar system seem to accumulate more of certain materials, like how did Io get so much sulphur and Europa get so much water, etc. Earth's heat comes from both pressure and radioactive decay from massive amounts of Uranium and other things like Potassium with half lives of billions of years. Tidal forces may have some influence as well, but it's not going to be anything like poor Io.
The reason our atmosphere is protected from some of the worst bits of the solar wind is because of how much molten Iron there is in the outer core, resulting in a giant dynamo whose magnetic field redirects lots of high energy particles.
Manos: The Hans of Fate
Banned
Cool, thanks. I'll definitely give that a watch.
SniperHunter
Banned
great video, will watch the entire thing! thanks for the link
dragonelite
Member
New goal in life die of old age on mars..
This is the one that's been around for years;Terraformed Mars rendering:
I remember using it as my wallpaper for the longest time. :lol
Graphics Horse
Member
What we really need to do is build floating cities high in the acid clouds of Venus.
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14334.0
There's a height where temperature and pressure are about right, we just need to do something about all that sulphur.
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14334.0
There's a height where temperature and pressure are about right, we just need to do something about all that sulphur.
Damn you future humans
Dont worry, scientists will soon find a way to stop us from aging, so we can live to see cool space stuff in the future. GO SCIENCE!
I wish
What we really need to do is build floating cities high in the acid clouds of Venus.
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14334.0
Yes! I was reading up on this and the atmospheric pressure and temperature at a certain altitude in Venus (I think it was like 35 miles above the surface) is comparable to Earth. Not only that, but oxygen is less dense than the other gases that make up Venus's atmosphere, so in theory all we'd have to do to get our cities to float is pump them full of oxygen. Of course, we'd still have to account for the acidic rain and crazy winds on Venus, but it is pretty cool to think about.
SniperHunter
Banned
I think we should be moving away from the sun, not getting closer to it
I think we should be moving away from the sun, not getting closer to it
I knew Pluto will have it's time to shine.
And Mars is farer away.
RyanardoDaVinci
Member
Terraformed Mars rendering:
This is the one that's been around for years;
I remember using it as my wallpaper for the longest time. :lol
Isn't this the correct size of Mariner Valley:
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