Can we colonize Mars? Should we?

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Personally, I view the red planet as the future site of a prison colony ... and the next installment of Survivor reality game show.

"Today is the first episode of Survivor XXXXIV, Survivor Mars! In our first episode we shoot the Survivors out of orbit and they will have rough landings...but that's not the tough part! The tough part is getting to the camp without a space suit!"

 

[ergeheilalt]

Anybody believe that humanity will ever spread beyond the limits of the solar system?

Not for a while yet. Until ten years ago, there was no where else to go. No new planets, only stars. Then, using spetrographic tools, we began to discover gas giants. That's something, but nothing we can land on and call home.

Now, according to New Scientist, a very intellegent young scientist has discovered a way to locate dying, "M-class" planets. Up until just recently, we could only find gas giants because of their huge size. When they passed in front of a star, there would be a momentary lapse in the strenght of the lumens produced by the star. This new technique looks for the atmosphere burning off due to emense heat. It is my belief that if NASA's new mega telescope works, we'll be able to identify M-class planets with greater ease.

If there is someplace where we can go live, I see no reason why humanity would *want* to stay on Earth. There would definitely be enough people willing to give it a try. I honestly do not see the technology to do so becoming availible for another 75-150 years. A mars or moon colony would be a good start for wider, more prevasive colonization; this due mostly impart to the fact that the human body is not accustomed to weightless living - both the moon and mars have less gravitational pull and could act as wheening points.

Erge

 

[Mark]

IMO, yes, we should colonize beyond our own planet as soon as possible to lessen the chance of the extinction of our species. Go Humans!

 

[physicscarp]

Just a quick reminder for everyone who wants to leave the solar system:

The fastest man-made objects are the Voyager spacecraft. They now cover about 2 feet per day on this scale, or 3.3 AU per year. (35,000 mph, 60,000 km/hr)

At this speed, they'll get to Proxima Centauri, the next closest star to Earth, in just about 82,390 years. Assuming either is even pointed in the right direction (Their not. :\ )

If we EVER want to move outside of our solar system, it will require a complete reformulation of physics as we know it, followed by the development of an entirely new system of propulsion. Hey, maybe Voyager would be there by that time!

Carp

 

[Umbran]

If we EVER want to move outside of our solar system, it will require a complete reformulation of physics as we know it, followed by the development of an entirely new system of propulsion.

Bit of an overstatement there. Sure, the Voyagers are currently the fastest things, and aren't up to the job of interstellar flight. But they were designed decades ago, and they were not designed for interstellar flight. You don't need a new reformulation of physics. You just need to take advantage of some physics that the Voyagers don't.

 

[Ranger REG]

I'm not sure about the prison colony... It'd be awfully expensive to ship them there.

We cut corners, starting with the safety standards for manned space travel.

 

[Creamsteak]

At this speed, they'll get to Proxima Centauri, the next closest star to Earth, in just about 82,390 years. Assuming either is even pointed in the right direction (Their not. :\ )

I see no problem with a mission (if sustainable) takes ninety thousand years or more. I realize the human race isn't incredibly old, but on the scale of the universe, 90k years of earth floating around our sun isn't much.

 

[Trainz]

While I think that it is cool and worthwile to explore/colonize other planets, it is much more efficient and easy to maximise what we have here on earth. Install a global ressources management society/polution control, and we're set.

The chances of that happening are much more probable than those of colonizing other planets.



/realist

 

[pensiv]

I think that we should colonize Antarctica before we colonize Mars.

 

[Ranger REG]

I don't think we can do that. Something about an international treaty that declared Antarctica a neutral territory.