Once we told you Why aren't aliens coming?. And why don't we fly to other planets, even within the solar system?
About what awaits us, if we find ourselves on these planets without a space suit and other protection, he told in a video interview business insider Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist American Museum natural history. And we supplemented this with other interesting facts.
Let's start in order - with our main star.
The body of an adult is on average 65% water. So you just evaporate, and it happens in a split second.
Interestingly, the surface of the Sun is considered its "coolest" part - the temperature there is 5.5 thousand degrees Celsius (for comparison: in the center of the core - almost 14 million, in the corona an average of about 1.5 million). In any case, a descent to the Sun is out of the question.
And yet you might be surprised how close you can fly to it without fear of being burned alive. If the distance from the Earth to the Sun is expressed as football field, then you can get close to someone else's penalty area, according to Popular Science. Another thing is that earlier man will die from radiation.
Mercury
This planet, the closest to the Sun, is devoid of an atmosphere, so there are both extremely high and extremely low temperatures. The day side is incredibly hot (up to 430 degrees Celsius), and on the night side, on the contrary, there is a terrible cold (minus 180 degrees). The descent to Mercury will be like slow roasting on a spit. As long as you have enough breath, so much you will live - that is, less than 2 minutes.
However, if you have a suitable spacesuit and other protective equipment, it will be quite possible to settle on Mercury. True, only one zone is suitable for this - the so-called "terminator", the border between the day and night sides, an employee of the British National space center Josh Barker.
The planet rotates slowly around its axis (one local day = 88 Earth days), so the boundary shifts just as slowly. The temperature in the "terminator" is the most constant and relatively acceptable (only minus 100).
Venus
The average temperature on the surface is 470 degrees: this is hotter than in the oven (and, by the way, hotter than on sunny side Mercury). The pressure is 90 times higher than atmospheric pressure on the Earth's surface. So the colonization of Venus is excluded, categorically declares scientist Sten Odenwald on The Astronomy Cafe website. Planet in literally fry and crush you in an instant, not even allowing you to get from the spaceship to the already ready and fully equipped camp (assuming that this is even possible).
However, on Venus, gravity is about the same as on Earth. So in this regard, you will feel “at home” there - until you evaporate, Degrasse Tyson jokes.
Mars
It is very cold on the surface, averaging minus 63 degrees Celsius, but the air is rarefied, so the cold is not felt as severe as it would be at the same temperature on Earth. Wearing warm clothes will give you enough time to quickly look around - it all depends on how long you can hold your breath.
The main problem is low atmospheric pressure Compared to Earth, Mars is almost a vacuum. Therefore, without a spacesuit, a person is waiting for rupture of the skin and organs, degassing and a painful, albeit quick death, Chris Webster from the NASA laboratory, which is responsible for the operation of the Curiosity rover, clarifies to Business Insider.
In many other ways, the "Red Planet" is just as hostile to humans: lack of oxygen (only 0.1%, while on Earth 20%), Martian dust from which nowhere to hide, intense UV radiation, and chemicals and oxidizing agents on the surface .
However, of all the planets in the solar system, only Mars is theoretically suitable for colonization.
Jupiter
This largest planet in our system has no surface - nowhere to land, so you will "endlessly" dive into gas atmosphere until you get crushed under its layers. And it will happen in a split second.
Saturn
Same scenario as on Jupiter. It is also a gas giant (like Uranus and Neptune). You will not be able to "walk" along the famous rings of Saturn. They are not one solid, but consist of a myriad of tiny particles.
If it's ever possible to send a human exploration mission anywhere, it's to one of Saturn's moons. Enceladus, for example, is believed to have the potential to sustain life. True, its size is only 3% of the size of the Earth, according to Moonphases.info.
Uranus and Neptune
Regarding these two most distant planets of the solar system (Pluto, as you know, was deprived of the status of a planet), NASA answers the same way: “You can only survive in a safe spaceship, flying by.” Landing on them is impossible.
And this is what happens in the end: on most planets, a person, as he is, will not live even a second. Less than two minutes you can hold out on Mercury and Mars. One conclusion - best place than the Earth, not to be found.
Researchers have determined how long a person can live on Mercury and Mars. The life of a person on Mark and Mercury in the event of his arrival there as an astronaut or a colonizer was studied by specialists. The colonization of other planets today occupies the minds of most scientists, especially in the context of the imminent conquest of the Red Planet. In connection with such serious plans, astronomers from the United States of America have developed a unique computer model, which will allow predicting what will be the life expectancy of a person on the Martian expanses or on Mercury.
Recently, American scientists have determined how likely life is on planets such as Mars and Mercury. Thus, the colonization of these space objects. A group of American scientists conducted their own study, as a result of which they were able to find out the time that a person can stay on the surface of Mars or Mercury. ... As it turned out, on Mercury, due to the most serious temperature changes, a person can live only 0.001 seconds.
While some scientists talk about the possibility of settling other planets in the solar system, others prove their unsuitability for life. ... So, scientists believe that even the most advanced spacesuits will not save astronauts on Mercury. American scientists are studying the conditions of life on the planets of the solar system in case a catastrophe occurs on Earth. So, the researchers came to the conclusion that a person is more likely to survive on Mars than on Mercury. Scientists told how many people can live on the surface of Mercury and Mars. According to experts, an astronaut on Mercury will be able to live on the strength of 0.001 seconds.
While some scientists are making plans to build colonies on Mars and Mercury, others are warning that these planets are completely uninhabitable. So, according to researchers, astronauts on Mercury, dressed in the most advanced spacesuits, will be able to live on the strength of 0.001 seconds. Scientists have found out how many people can live on Mars and Mercury. … And, according to scientists, on one of these planets a person will last a fraction of a second, while on the other - a few days, but at the same time his life on the planets will be as painful as possible, a person will suffer greatly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NocwRUayv24
The sun generates over ten billion years of its life, within computer simulations scientists have found out. Then life on its surface will indeed be possible, that the planet is located close enough to its star. At the proxima, Venus and Mars are still more promising. Scientists say that Mercury could collide with the earth, so Mars or Venus will crash into us instead. We found out the role of fights in evolution, that by the hand you can find out all the secrets of a person, people believed for a long time.
draw from her inner surface, Dr. Bogdanov is convinced. Scientists have definitely found out that the hill of Mars under the hill of Mercury speaks of energy and enthusiasm!
Usually sentences in which the word mars sounds, a million people on mars. I will introduce you to two aliens; how much the sun produces in ten billion years of its life, life on earth.
The site browser found out what the first Martian colony might look like, what problems the first people on the Red Planet will have to face and how to solve them. Among the main tasks are the delivery of people to the planet, the cultivation of food, the extraction of water and the fight against radiation.
September 27, 2016 Elon Musk told about plans for the colonization of Mars and about the system of interplanetary transportation of people. The first ship with colonists can go to Mars as early as 2023-2025. But is mankind ready to populate the red planet and what technologies will help people survive at a distance of 225 million kilometers from Earth?
harsh beauty
Elon Musk knowingly chose Mars as a second home for earthlings - this is the most suitable planet for life in the solar system. True, the conditions there are harsh: the atmosphere of Mars is 96% composed of carbon dioxide, the temperature ranges from +20 °C to -127 °C, and the radiation level is many times higher than in the vicinity of Chernobyl. But the planet has a lot of water and carbon dioxide, from which you can make breathable air and fuel for spaceships. A day on Mars lasts almost as long as on Earth, and gravity is several times less than Earth's.
Curiosity's first Martian selfie
Delivery of people to Mars
The first problem SpaceX has to solve is getting people to the Red Planet. Mars is 400 million kilometers away, and passengers will have to fly for eight months to get there. At the same time, you need to fly to certain period when Earth and Mars are closest to each other.
“So far, our attempts to fly to Mars have been pretty pathetic. And the Americans, and the Russians, and the Europeans, and the Japanese, and the Chinese, and the Indians sent 44 missiles there, most of which were either lost or broken. Only a third of the missions to Mars have been successful,” writes Stefan Petranek, author of How We Will Live on Mars.
Musk is also not all right with flight safety. Falcon 9 on September 1, 2016 was the second in SpaceX commercial launch history. Before that, the company lost a rocket and cargo for the ISS in June 2015 - the rocket exploded in the air due to a malfunction in the second stage. True, after that, SpaceX conducted nine successful launches, and Musk still has time to analyze the causes of disasters and avoid them in the future.
The very scheme of the flight to Mars will look like this: a rocket with astronauts will rise into earth orbit, after which its first stage will return beyond the Earth, a capsule with fuel will be loaded into it and again sent to the rocket with astronauts. After refueling, the ship will return the tanker with fuel to Earth again and begin its journey towards Mars. According to Musk, it will be the largest rocket in existence - the diameter of the ship will be 17 meters, and overall height launch complex - 122 meters.
At the end of September 2016, SpaceX successfully tested the Raptor methane rocket engine, which will be used in the interplanetary flight system (ITS).
Musk plans to make the first unmanned trip to Mars as early as 2018. After that, missions to the red planet will be sent every two years during the period of the closest approach of the planets. According to NASA estimates, this project will cost Musk $320 million. The first missions will be unmanned, people will fly to Mars only after 8-10 years if the test flights are successful.
What will the Martian colonists eat and drink?
Water is at the top of the list of essentials for survival, but it is expensive and difficult to bring it from the ground, so the colonists will have to extract it right on the spot. The soil on Mars contains up to 60% water, and according to satellite data, many craters have layers of ice inside. Scientists suggest that in addition to glaciers on Mars, The groundwater. True, their extraction will require special equipment that will stop the freezing of water immediately after it rises to the surface.
Photo taken by Phoenix Lander in 2008. white matter- it's ice
Water on Mars can even be extracted from the atmosphere, which is often 100% humid. The water dehumidifier was created back in 1988 at the University of Washington and can be used in harsh Martian conditions.
In addition to water, NASA solved another problem - they figured out where to get the air that the astronauts will breathe. Massachusetts scientist Institute of Technology(MIT) Michael Hecht has developed a machine called the Moxie that sucks in the Martian atmosphere and pumps oxygen out of carbon dioxide. Next big ship NASA, scheduled to launch in 2020, will be equipped with one of these devices. A test version of Moxie will be able to produce enough oxygen to sustain the life of one person.
With food, things are a little more complicated. According to Stefan Petranek, with the help of hydroponics (growing plants in water with nutrients) it will be possible to get no more than 15-20% of the food necessary for the astronauts to eat, the rest will have to be delivered from Earth in a dried form.
Theoretically, plants will be able to grow in soil based on Martian soil. But scientists who have studied rover samples so far are leaning toward the conclusion that the Martian soil may be too acidic or too alkaline and will need to be rehabilitated and replenished with nutrients like nitrogen. Therefore, at first, hydroponics will become a more reliable way to grow plants. Provided that the colonists have already established the extraction and storage of water in a liquid state.
Biologist Angelo Vermeulen, who lived for several months in a simulator of the Martian environment on Hawaiian Islands, I am sure that the first crops should take up little space and be as nutritious as possible. For example, it can be beans or potatoes, which became famous after the movie "The Martian". But green salads, dill and parsley will become a delicacy for the colonists - they are low in calories and take up a lot of space.
Do not hope that the Martian greenhouses will look like illustrations from Soviet magazines- most likely, they will be hidden under a thick layer of soil or in lava channels to avoid the effects of destructive solar radiation.
As for fertilizers for Martian plants, Jim Cleaves from research institute Blue Marble Space expressed the opinion that the Martians will be able to use the bodies of the colonists who died on the red planet to feed the soil.
“Astronauts are already breaking earthly taboos about waste by drinking recycled urine. If we manage to overcome the taboo of death, active composting human body will not be much different from his burial in the ground, ”Jim believes.
Where to live
Next key moment for the survival of the Martians, these are the premises where they will live. People will need to protect themselves not only from the cold, but also from cosmic radiation. Protects us from radiation on Earth dense atmosphere and the higher people climb, the more they are exposed to cosmic radiation.
Unlike Earth, there is practically no magnetic field on Mars and the settlers will receive slightly less radiation than in the open. interplanetary space- from 400 to 900 millisieverts of exposure per year. For comparison, the average inhabitant of the Earth during the year accumulates 3 millisieverts in his body, at 4000 mSv he develops radiation sickness with a high probability of death, and 6000-7000 mSv is considered a lethal dose.
Time on Earth is taken for granted. People do not think that the interval by which time is measured is relative. For example, days and years are measured by physical factors: takes into account the distance from the planet to the Sun. One year equal to that the time for which the planet goes around the sun, and one day is the time for a complete rotation around its axis. By the same principle, time is calculated for other celestial bodies solar system. Many people are interested in how long a day lasts on Mars, Venus and other planets?
On our planet, a day lasts 24 hours. It takes this many hours for the Earth to rotate on its axis. The length of the day on Mars and other planets is different: somewhere it is short, and somewhere very long.
Definition of time
To find out how long a day lasts on Mars, you can use solar or sidereal days. The last measurement option is the period during which the planet makes one rotation around its axis. A day measures the time it takes for the stars to be in the same position in the sky from which the countdown began. star way Earth is 23 hours and almost 57 minutes.
A solar day is a unit of time for which the planet turns around its axis relative to sunlight. The principle of measuring with this system is the same as when measuring the day of a sidereal day, only the Sun is used as a guide. Sidereal and solar days can be different.
And how long does a day last on Mars according to the star and solar system? sidereal day on the red planet is 24 and a half hours. A solar day lasts a little longer - 24 hours and 40 minutes. A day on Mars is 2.7% longer than a day on Earth.
When sending vehicles to explore Mars, the time on it is taken into account. The devices have a special built-in clock, diverging from the earth by 2.7%. Knowing how long a day lasts on Mars allows scientists to create special rovers that are synchronized with the Martian day. The use of special clocks is important for science, as rovers run on solar panels. As an experiment, a clock was developed for Mars that takes into account the solar day, but they could not be applied.
The zero meridian on Mars is the one that passes through the crater called Airy. However, there are no time zones on the red planet like there are on Earth.
martian time
Knowing how many hours there are in a day on Mars, you can calculate how long the year is. The seasonal cycle is similar to Earth's: Mars has the same inclination as the Earth (25.19°) with respect to its own orbital plane. From the Sun to the red planet, the distance fluctuates in different periods from 206 to 249 million kilometers.
Temperature readings are different from ours:
- average temperature -46 °С;
- during the period of removal from the Sun, the temperature is about -143 ° С;
- in summer time- -35 °С.
Water on Mars
An interesting discovery was made by scientists in 2008. The rover discovered water ice at the poles of the planet. Prior to this discovery, it was thought that there were only carbonic ices. Even later, it turned out that precipitation in the form of snow falls on the red planet, and carbon dioxide snow falls near the south pole.
Throughout the year, storms are observed on Mars, spreading over hundreds of thousands of kilometers. They make it difficult to track what is happening on the surface.
A year on Mars
Around the Sun, the red planet makes a circle in 686 Earth days, moving at a speed of 24 thousand kilometers per second. Developed whole system notation for the Martian years.
When studying the question of how long a day on Mars lasts in hours, humanity has made many sensational discoveries. They show that the red planet is close to Earth.
Length of a year on Mercury
Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. It rotates around its axis in 58 Earth days, that is, one day on Mercury is 58 earth days. And to fly around the Sun, the planet needs only 88 Earth days. This is amazing discovery shows that on this planet a year lasts almost three Earth months, and while our planet flies one circle around the Sun, Mercury makes more than four revolutions. And how long does a day last on Mars and other planets when compared with Mercury time? It's amazing, but in just one and a half Martian days, a whole year passes on Mercury.
Time on Venus
Unusual is the time on Venus. One day on this planet lasts 243 Earth days, and a year on this planet lasts 224 Earth days. It seems strange, but such is the mysterious Venus.
Time on Jupiter
Jupiter is the most big planet our solar system. Based on its size, many people think that the day on it lasts a long time, but this is not so. Its duration is 9 hours 55 minutes - less than half the length of our earthly day. gas giant rotates rapidly around its axis. By the way, because of him, constant hurricanes and severe storms rage on the planet.
Time on Saturn
A day on Saturn lasts about the same as on Jupiter, and is 10 hours 33 minutes. But a year lasts approximately 29,345 Earth years.
Time on Uranus
Uranus is unusual planet, and it is not so easy to determine how long a daylight hours will last on it. A sidereal day on the planet lasts 17 hours and 14 minutes. However, the giant has a strong axial tilt, which is why it rotates around the Sun almost on its side. Because of this, at one pole, summer will last 42 earth years, while at the other pole it will be night at this time. When the planet rotates, the other pole will be illuminated for 42 years. Scientists have come to the conclusion that a day on the planet lasts 84 Earth years: one Uranian year lasts almost one Uranian day.
Time on other planets
Dealing with the question of how long a day and a year last on Mars and other planets, scientists have found unique exoplanets where a year lasts only 8.5 Earth hours. This planet is called Kepler 78b. Another planet KOI 1843.03 was also discovered, with a shorter period of rotation around its sun - only 4.25 Earth hours. Every day a person would become three years older if he lived not on Earth, but on one of these planets. If people could adjust to the planetary year, it would be best to go to Pluto. On this dwarf, a year is 248.59 Earth years.
Now the theme of life on other planets is very popular as never before. Many scientists are seriously discussing the need to resettle all (or part) of humanity on the nearest planets. The fact is that the resources of our planet are slowly but inexorably coming to an end. The human population is growing exponentially. And we will soon become very crowded, very poor and very hungry. Humanity must develop, and most importantly, so that development does not stop, we must conquer more and more new unexplored places. Master them, make them fit for life. We are born curious and our curiosity constantly pulls us forward.
Naturally, if we talk about life on other planets, then there can be no talk of moving to places that are outside our solar system. The nearest planet, which is similar to Earth in terms of conditions, is a few tens of light years away. And this means that it will take us about a thousand years to get to it. With current level technologies. Therefore, now the most realistic option seems to be moving to planets that are relatively close to us. Venus? Too hot, killer atmosphere. Satellites of Saturn? Far and cold. The most preferred planet for further colonization is now Mars. It is close, there is a more or less gentle atmosphere and weather. Let's look at this option in more detail, perhaps it is not as unrealistic as it seems at first glance.
Stephen Petranek, a science journalist who regularly speaks at TED, has published How We'll Live on Mars (2014). In it, he talks in detail about the fact that very soon (tentatively in 2027) humanity will land on Mars and begin to actively colonize it. We publish key ideas from book.
Two important details that tell us that a trip to Mars is real
Back in 1948, the German scientist Wernher von Braun published treatise Das Marsprojekt - Project "Mars" - which described in detail how to design and build 10 spacecraft that could deliver the first settlers to Mars safe and sound.
At that time, even his close colleagues did not appreciate the ideas of Von Braun, and he was fired from his job with a bang. But in the 1960s, his ideas finally gained wide acceptance, including among the developers of the Apollo shuttle that took astronauts to the moon. A new book science journalist Steven Petranek gives us concrete data and recommendations on how to make Von Braun's audacious idea to move to Mars a reality.
Petranek believes that 4 astronauts can easily cope with a 243-day flight to Mars and land on this planet in 2027. And by 2050, full-fledged colonies will already be created, the journalist believes. Let's discuss the dangers and obstacles that will lie in wait for us along the way.
We couldn't help but notice that the words "predictable" and "project" are used countless times throughout the book. But what will skeptics say if these data really turn out to be true?
There are two important details that need to be mentioned:
Until recently, NASA did not even want to discuss possible flights to Mars. But after some time, they hire a special team that is working on the creation of the Orion interplanetary shuttle. Don't you think this is strange?
Elon Musk says that the only mission for which his company Space X exists is the practical possibility of interplanetary flights. First and foremost, Mars.
Even 10 years ago, everyone laughed at Elon when he claimed that he would make the first full-fledged electric car. And 50 years ago, this could not be read even in science fiction novels. But Tesla was able to make a real revolution in the automotive industry.
Space X has already completed 18 successful flights. And we think that Elon is really serious if he claims that his mission is the successful delivery of the first colonizers to Mars.
What are the biggest challenges to establishing an independent colony on Mars? And how will they be resolved?
Food, water, clothing, and even the lack of oxygen are not such serious obstacles to the organization of the colony. We already have tools that can help us create drinking water and oxygen in the right amount. The space shuttle can also keep astronauts alive in space for very long periods of time. But even 10 years ago, many scientists believed that no one would last even a year in zero gravity. And today, American and Russian astronauts have been working hand in hand on the ISS for more than a year, and this does not seem so strange and impossible.
The most the main problem, which scientists have not yet decided is the fight against solar radiation. Magnetic fields Earth and its atmosphere neutralize most dangerous solar particles. But this is not possible on Mars, because he is extremely thin atmospheric layer. And the planet is literally teeming with deadly solar radiation. You can protect yourself from solar radiation with water and a special metal, but cosmic radiation is a more difficult problem. But we have salvation - countless caves and lava tubes, which are stuffed with the planet's equator. And regolith is a mineral that makes up the soil of the planet. It can be used to produce construction material, which will effectively protect against radiation. Scientists believe that already at a depth of 3 meters, the danger of radiation will be extremely low. And they are also seriously considering the possibility of terraforming - change climatic conditions planets in such a way that they are suitable for the life of terrestrial plants and animals.
What tools will help us in terraforming Mars?
The easiest way is to install mirrors around the perimeter of 250 kilometers on the North and south poles planets. Mirrors will reflect Sun rays and send them to places of accumulation of frozen carbon dioxide. This will help create greenhouse effect, thickening of the atmosphere of the planet, and soon it will become much warmer and more comfortable on Mars. Now the temperature conditions even at the equator of the planet are not so comfortable: 21C during the day and down to -73C at night. If we can heat the planet, we will get and fresh water, which is there. Water will allow plants to grow, which in turn will produce oxygen and make the atmosphere more habitable.
But what if the consequences of terraforming are not as rosy as described in theory? What if the scientists made a mistake in their calculations?
There is no doubt that some calculations may not be confirmed in practice. One such scenario is that carbon dioxide on Mars will be too specific for our plants, with various impurities, which will not allow them to grow and develop normally. But we often underestimate the speed with which we acquire new knowledge. The amount of knowledge that we received after the Second World War is greater than all theories that were developed before it. The rate at which information is received doubles every two years. And in 50 years, experiments on terraforming the planet will be much more thoughtful than now. We don't have an answer right now, but we just have to wait a bit.
Changing human DNA through genetic engineering
It will take us more than 1,000 years to transform the atmosphere of Mars into a semblance of the earth. But we can use the principles of genetic engineering to control our genes. That is, if we have already practically invented a gene drug that prevents breast cancer in women by introducing a special virus into DNA, then we can work on DNA so that in the future we will be less susceptible to carbon dioxide. For example, now, if there is at least more than 5% carbon dioxide in the air, then a person can die. Genetic Engineering can tune the DNA so that 40% is not lethal.
What will life be like on Mars 50 years after colony settlement?
The food of the first settlers will consist of 80% of deep-frozen products, which they took with them from the Earth. In the future, they will be able to grow mushrooms, vegetables and fruits in greenhouses and eat them, which, in fact, has more to do with human psychology than with direct necessity. A person is adapted to eat "hard" food, he needs it to look like natural food, and not a shapeless puree. The sun on Mars is not as intense as it is on Earth. And the weather at the planet's equator is reminiscent of a sunny winter in Chicago. On Mars, the sun shines for 12 hours and night for 12 hours. But the seasons last twice as long, the year consists of 24 months. Humans on Mars will spend most of their time underground or in sheltered structures from solar radiation. And it's not really that scary. Many of us already spend most of our lives indoors. More than half of the world lives in cities, and cities are a heap of houses and various structures. Look, for example, from above at New York's Central Park. People spend most of their lives in offices, sleeping in their homes, eating in restaurants, visiting each other. On Mars, everything will be almost the same familiar to us. Settlers will move around the planet on special vehicles protecting them from radiation, with autonomous oxygen supply. The suits will be much lighter than they are now. We already have the technology for lightweight space suits. Scientists have also developed lightweight autonomous air supply devices and lightweight helmets.
Many scientists compare the colonization of Mars with the great migration of Europeans to America. What do they have in common?
In 1620, only 102 people crossed the Atlantic and arrived in the Americas on famous ship Mayflower. After 20 years, the number of immigrants was 30,000 people. During this time, the number of ships that arrived in American ports increased from 2 ships per month to 700. The size of the colony on Mars will increase just as quickly.
What about the "dark" aspects of this analogy: how, for example, did settlers resort to cannibalism during Georgetown's cold winters, high mortality, and violence?
People died in Georgetown and Plymouth because they did not have enough food, there was no healthcare system and care for environment. We will provide for all this in our flight to Mars. We will even have an x-ray machine and other professional Medical equipment. But in fact, it’s even hard to imagine now what difficulties we will have to face there. The history of the beginning of migration is one of the most difficult eras in the history of mankind.
How many people will live on Mars after the development of the colony in 10, 20, 50 years?
Elon Musk is perhaps the only person on Earth who can give us the most adequate estimate of the population of the colony. In 2025 or 2027 he will send 2 shuttles with the first settlers to Mars. There will be from 4 to 10 astronauts in one ship. By 2030, the shuttle will arrive on the red planet. In the near future, the development of large reusable spacecraft capable of accommodating 80 to 100 people will begin. And, according to the most conservative estimates, if we have 50 ships with 80 astronauts on each, then by 2032 there will be 4,000 people living on Mars. The ships will make flights every two years. And Elon wants to build up to 1000 of these shuttles by 2050. Those. in 2050, 80,000 colonists will fly to Mars in one trip. By 2060, the number of colonists will reach one million.
A one-way ticket to Mars would cost about half a million dollars. Is it possible that this price will fall?
Musk has been very specific about his pricing policy. He announced that between 2031 and 2032 the cost of a ticket would be $400,000 (it is now known that the cost of a ticket to Mars has already been reduced to $200,000). Potential colonist: a person who is over forty, who is tired of his job and who wants to radically change his life. For example, to get that kind of money, he can sell his house. There will be plenty to do on Mars, and labor rates will be substantially higher than on Earth. Numerous companies have already agreed to set up facilities to serve the colonists on the red planet. We also assume that the earth will be in high demand documentaries about Mars, as well as a reality show. True, there is one danger that we already know about - this is slavery from companies that will sell the colonist a ticket in exchange for 20 years free work on her.
Is there any danger that such ambitious plans to colonize the Earth are just an excuse to destroy the planet in endless wars?
A few years ago, Ban Ki-moon, the chairman of the UN, said that we must improve ecological state planets because we don't have any plan B, we have nowhere to run if something happens. Mars is now our Plan B. It gives us hope, whether anyone likes it or not. I think it will be a great tragedy if people, knowing about Plan B, begin to treat the planet on which they live less economically. But much bigger problem will be if humanity disappears altogether. You can wake up one morning and find out that a giant 20 km asteroid is heading straight for the Earth and will soon collide with it. In this case, we will be able to do absolutely nothing, all of humanity will perish. We don't have rockets that could bring down an asteroid of this diameter. And there is only one scenario to prevent all potential threats from being destroyed. human species: We must become an interplanetary race. I am very excited when people say that we can go to Mars if we destroy the Earth, but it is even more exciting for me if all of humanity disappears from the face of the Earth.
