This Week In Space podcast: Episode 153 — Pathways to Mars

[Admin]

On Episode 153 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Robert Zubrin, founder and president of The Mars Society, about making real, actionable plans to send a crew to Mars.

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 153 — Pathways to Mars : Read more

 

[Warnerirene400]

On Episode 153 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Robert Zubrin, founder and president of The Mars Society, about making real, actionable plans to send a crew to Mars.

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 153 — Pathways to Mars : Read more

Okay, I am all for going to Mars. My concern is the magnetic field that Mars has with the Sun once we humans get there and try to make it habitable. If we humans move to Mars and make it Green wouldn't that greenness need to survive and try to do things to survive. Would that cause a collision or some form of magnetic alteration. Would it get better?

 

[Wolfshadw]

First off, it is highly unlikely that humankind will ever be able to make Mars, "Green". It doesn't have the mass to keep it's core molten and/or spinning. Without that, it cannot create a magnetic field sufficient enough to protect the planet from the Sun's solar winds that continually strip away the Mars atmosphere or cosmic radiation that continuously bombards the planet surface.

Hypothetically speaking, though, if we could restore Mars' magnetic field without changing it's size or mass, then yes, we could, possibly, make it "Green" again and we would not have to worry about "magnetic alterations" or a collision. Mars would remain in it's stable orbit.

Again, hypothetically speaking:

1) Recreate a sufficient magnetic field to protect the atmosphere from the solar winds and the surface from cosmic radiation (this is the part we don't know how to do yet).
2) Re-introduce an atmosphere on a planetary scale. The Sun and a thick atmosphere reheat the planet and melt the sub-surface ice (if any) to recreate liquid water.
3) Introduce oxygen creating greenery, survivable in Mars' lower gravity environment.

Might only take a few hundred thousand years, and I'm sure there are a lot more steps, but this is just a basic outline and for now, we can't even get past step one.

-Wolf sends

 

[Helio]

Okay, I am all for going to Mars. My concern is the magnetic field that Mars has with the Sun once we humans get there and try to make it habitable. If we humans move to Mars and make it Green wouldn't that greenness need to survive and try to do things to survive. Would that cause a collision or some form of magnetic alteration. Would it get better?

Although this important topic didn't come up, he alluded to it with this "spaceboat" idea where it had to be insolated from space radiation if it is to be used in a Mars mission or a return to Earth mission from the Moon.

I would expect he addresses this important topic in his recent book, "The New World on Mars."

I've been expecting to hear of a new discovery of a large cave or two on Mars, perhaps an old lava tube. Being underground would seem to be the most low-cost approach to starting a base of any kind, especially if water is somewhat readily available below the surface.

I appreciate his views that separate purpose-driven programs from vendor-driven programs. Even if he is exaggerating slightly, not that I know, it helps give understanding .

At the end of the shop he didn't have times, perhaps, to elaborate. But I'm unclear on his view of Musk's involvement, which he thinks could contribute to putting the "mark of Cain" on the Mars program. I can guess what he means, but I'd like to get his view since he is impressively articulate in his views.

 

[Ken Fabian]

Couldn't keep watching long enough to hear what pathway to Mars is proposed - too much waffle, not enough... syrup and cream (or some other analogy). Making fun of the crank conspiracy theorists for example seems like punching below your weight - and is not that interesting to me. It wasn't what I began watching it for.

A personal preference admittedly - I am not a big fan of videos for information gathering and if I watched every one being offered on the various sites I participate in it would be a full time activity - more than I could ever watch even full time.

I wouldn't expect much questioning in the interview whether crewed missions to Mars are worth the expense and effort or whether 'colonisation' is actually feasible or even of great significance compared to other things we can do in space (I do question it) but as a 'how could we do it' thought experiment, there are still lots of questions about the technology and feasibility that are still interesting to me.

I admit that if crewed missions to Mars are the goal I would be more inclined to explore the possibilities of Mars' moons as staging bases and for in-situ production of rocket fuel - to fully fuel landers before they land (to maximise payload delivery), to refuel in-space rockets for the return trip.

But I am of the view that developing the capability to extract crucial resources from asteroids (and asteroid-like moons like Deimos and Phobos) will open up more opportunities in space than Mars missions. That is because rocket fuel appears to be the crucial 'consumable' that is needed in the greatest quantities.

 

[anniemsimcox]

On Episode 153 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Robert Zubrin, founder and president of The Mars Society, about making real, actionable plans to send a crew to Mars.

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 153 — Pathways to Mars : Read more

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