From the moment the spacecraft leaves Earth, each step of colonization will be defined by the engineering that is meant to let settlers live a full life on Mars. Getting things to “work out” on Mars will mean designing a generation of new equipment, spacecraft, landers, and infrastructure to deliver and support permanent residents on an alien world. “It’s going to be tough going, but it will be pretty glorious if it works out.” There’s a good chance you’ll die,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk told a conference in September 2020. “This is a very hard, dangerous, and difficult thing, not for the faint of heart. And the first humans could land as soon as 2029, if SpaceX can keep its ambitious timeline to settle Mars. ![]() Undaunted, engineers today are developing solutions that could lead to Martian funerals tomorrow. And the longer people stay on Mars, the greater the challenges grow. The hazards-the journey through space, treacherous landing, and brutal realities of life on an alien planet-are formidable. Dying on Mars means living on Mars, and that our species has mastered the dangers the Red Planet poses. Any remaining solids are transferred to compost bins to eventually form building materials like walls, deck planks, and particle boards. Nitrogen is a key component of chlorophyll, making this a valuable addition to the fertilizer used to grow Martian crops. The remaining liquid becomes fertilizer along with the bones, which are heat-dried and crushed into a nitrogen- and mineral-rich powder. The broth is piped to the colony’s anaerobic digester, where microorganisms break down biodegradable waste to produce methane gas that will fuel spacecraft and other vehicles. After about 12 hours of pressure-cooking alkaline hydrolysis, the pod drains with an automated whoosh, leaving only the bones.
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