grass on mars?

Status
Not open for further replies.
E

ezdayman

Guest
Happy New Years Everyone!!!<br />This is kinda of a 2nd grade question But im curious how come Nasa dosent sendsome kinda of grass seed or tundra plant seed's to mars just to see what would happen?? i mean if grass and tundra plants can grown near the artic circle of canada there could be a chance something might grow on mars?<br />Like i said its not a great question but its something that has made me wonder!!!
 
R

roguesaint

Guest
Two issues. All plants need at least CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O to make a go of it. Along with nitrates in the soil, etc. Mars does not have any/enough of these materials to support plant life right now. It's not just a matter of temperature on Mars, it's a matter of resources. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
M

meteo

Guest
Not to mention the sterilzing UV rays and peroxides in the soil, which would kill anything pretty quickly.
 
A

askold

Guest
Also, thowing biological matter around the Martian surface would pretty much put a stop to our search for clues of ancient life.<br /><br />That's why the spacecraft are thoroughly sterilized before launch - wouldn't want to find life on mars on the probe itself.
 
B

bobvanx

Guest
As far as I know, the planetary protection protocols aren't binding. And the DEA is unlikley to find your grass growing on Mars. Let's see, I guess perhaps getting the grass from Mars back to Earth might be harder than harvesting it from BLM lands.<br /><br />Oh, hey, just leave it there! maybe Zubrin will figure out a use for it.
 
B

bobvanx

Guest
Ah Steve,<br /><br />Why do you continue to assign beliefs to people? Especially when you dislike it so intensely when this is done to you?<br /><br />Let me break it down for you, and type real slowly. I do not carry a belief about life on Mars. The true nature of my thoughts is this:<br /><br /><br />There might be life on Mars. There might not be life on Mars.<br /><br /><br />Until we conduct a survey of the places life is most likely to be, then the only people who are absolutely sure one way or the other are those who don't understand the process.
 
C

centsworth_II

Guest
<font color="yellow">"Until we conduct a survey of the places life is most likely to be... the only people who are absolutely sure one way or the other are those who don't understand the process."</font><br /><br />Well put.<br /><br />By the way Steve, I <b>do not</b> think that grass seed scattered on the surface of Mars will grow. I hope I won't see this belief attributed to me in one of your future posts. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
C

centsworth_II

Guest
<font color="yellow">"Until we conduct a survey of the places life is most likely to be... the only people who are absolutely sure one way or the other are those who don't understand the process."</font><br /><br />Well put.<br /><br />By the way Steve, I <b>do not</b> think that grass seed scattered on the surface of Mars will grow. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
A

anigma46

Guest
That would cause a big problem,who is going to mow the grass.They would need to send a rover with a lawnmower!!!!!!
 
N

nacnud

Guest
... presumably with airlocks for their lips <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />
 
B

bobvanx

Guest
I can almost hear some twisted science teacher thinking, "Hm, I know what'll get the students interested... design a spacesuit for a goat, so that it can still feed and eliminate."
 
A

anigma46

Guest
It's more likely a robotic goat would be the answer. Or a robotic female dog to pee on the grass!!!!!
 
F

fossils

Guest
Stevehw33 - "And the near total lack of any kind of atmosphere [on Mars]..."<br /><br />Well, you better let NASA/JPL know that they just imagined that the parachutes on MER worked in the "near total lack of any kind of atmosphere" The imaginary atmosphere that transports a bit of water (today) via clouds and frost. The imaginary atmosphere that drives wind erosion, dust devils and global dust storms. It’s just so - totally lacking...<br /><br />Carbon Dioxide (CO2): 95.3% <br />Nitrogen (N2): 2.7% <br />Argon (Ar): 1.6% <br />Oxygen (O2): 0.15% <br />Water (H2O): 0.03% <br />Neon (Ne): 0.0003 % <br /><br />"What we were seeking was rocks that were actually formed in liquid water so that we could read the record in those rocks, not just to say liquid water was on Mars but to learn something about what the environmental conditions were like, would they have been suitable for life and, importantly, do the minerals that were formed have the capability to preserve for long periods of time evidence of former life? <b>That's probably the single most important thing we have found: evidence for minerals at Meridiani that are the kinds of things that are very good at preserving evidence of ancient life for very long periods of time.</b>" Dr Steve Squires 12/04<br /><br />Lack of imagination must be a drag - TWLOM.<br />
 
B

bobvanx

Guest
We often see the comparison that the surface of Mars has an atmospheric pressure similar to Earth at 100,000 feet. That is still enough pressure to support high-altitude ballooning, and it's far far denser than the rarified atmosphere that destroyed Columbia; I think she was passing through 200,000 feet when she came apart.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts