We Are Really Going To Mars
The we are really going to Mars idea has quite an interesting development. At first it was only a dream, but now that we can actually talk about going to Mars, you do not really know whether to take it as a joke or an actual fact. NASA seems pretty intent on sending people to Mars in the following decades and they keep saying that it is possible. But first, we need to know if we can actually live on Mars.
According to a recent study, Mars supposedly has wet paleoclimate. What is that, you may ask? It means that water can exist on Mars. It looks like there were streams on Mars that could have existed millions of years ago. Water is life, water existed, so we just need to figure out what changed and how to survive in that harsh environment.
Mars is not the most welcoming planet in our solar system. The temperatures are very low, about -60 to -80 degrees Celsius during the day and -120 degrees during the night. It’s very cold, so despite having to study the planet and see how we could make use of its resources, we would have to find out how we could heat ourselves up to a normal temperature and survive for long periods of time.
There are also some major technical issues that we need to solve before we can properly walk on the red planet. The gravity on Mars is only 1% of the gravity that we have on Earth, so the suits designed for the expedition must ensure flexible movement. The journey is also a matter that needs long discussions. With our current technology, the journey to Mars would last up to 6 months. We need to make sure that our ship gets there safely and in one piece.
Scientists are now concerned with Mars’ atmosphere and what caused and changed the existence of water on the planet. There is evidence of rivers and lakes across the studied areas, but much more information needs to be acquired before they draw any final conclusions.
The first journey to Mars is expected to debut in 2030 and NASA have already developed a three step plan to send people on it. While the first step has been going on for years (getting used to space environment) the next two steps, which are exploration and the actual landing, require more time and study before being completed. But the ulatimate fact stays the same: we are really going to Mars.
Photo Credits wikimedia.org
