# and why do we want to colonize Mars? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281 "2016-10-11T20:44:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/21 "2016-10-11T23:53:23Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Earth, the day after it gets hit by another Dinosaur killer, is going to much more hospitable than Mars. A research outpost at the South Pole would be 100 times cheaper and 100 times more survivable than an outpost on Mars. Feel free to substitute your own orders of magnitude, but seriously, setting up a colony at the top of Mount Everest is a lot easier. Who cares about cost? Inspiring people to be productive is what matters. Working to colonize the galaxy is inspirational. There is a universe full of material and energy. Might as well utilize it. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/22 "2016-10-12T00:12:20Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > 1. We are going to have to become a space faring civilization at one point, its a question of when not if. > . Got to ask.. what makes you say that? There’s a reason why most of the space missions these days are unmanned- sending us in person into space is prohibitively expensive. That’s not going to change unless some massive advances in technology are made. Massive-massive. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/23 "2016-10-12T00:23:36Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Besides, even given the enormous risks involved, I’d volunteer in an instant, figuring it’s a more interesting thing to do than most people will ever do. I’d leave right now, with a simple text to my wife as goodbye, if I was given the option. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/24 "2016-10-12T00:48:34Z")
Getting a little ahead of ourselves? We’ve only had eight 3-man space missions leave low Earth orbit. So, first let’s get a colony up and running on the moon … build the components here on Earth and all them hundred’s of rocket launches … supplies of oxygen and water … scheduled food deliveries … in return we’ll have a good steady supply of rocks … moon rocks to be sure, but rocks none-the-less. On Mars we’ll have the added resource of carbon dioxide … it’s a horrible pollutant … but it is abundant there … and of course rocks … plenty of Mars rocks there. Maybe, just maybe all this money would be better spent on keeping Earth habitable … we can do the science with robots and rovers and not have to fiddle with expensive life support systems … ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/25 "2016-10-12T01:46:48Z")
Let’s see - what do we need to do to Mars to make it even remotely inhabitable by humans? 1. Atmosphere. There is no way to generate the nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere we need to even live. So we send up lots of rockets with… Compressed gasses? Even if we could get the gasses to Mars and release them, the gravity will not keep them there, so we either need to up the gravity, or maybe build domes and keep only the domes full of air. 2. Food. Where to even start? No native soil capable of growing anything. Remember the “Nitrogen Cycle”? Yeah, find some healthy young fools, give them a one-way ticket and some way to claim the good “land”. Make sure they find and confirm water ice and claim it all for “Our” Team. Then spend the next 5 generations building an outpost - one that generate water, rocket fuel, air. When the colony is ready to go, THEN we can start transporting “Colonists”. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/26 "2016-10-12T02:34:39Z")
> [@Waxwinged](#): > > Got to ask… what makes you say that? There’s a reason why most of the space missions these days are unmanned- sending us in person into space is prohibitively expensive. That’s not going to change unless some massive advances in technology are made. Massive-massive. Those technologies aren’t going to get invented till they’re needed. Just like all the technologies invented to get to the moon, sure we could have made them we just wouldn’t have. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/27 "2016-10-12T02:50:12Z")
We now know pretty much, down to the pound and cubic centimeter, just what is required to keep a human alive. This has been discussed ad infitum since WWII - manned bomber or strategic missile - manned interceptor planes, or GTA missile? We have an interesting hybrid - the “drone” - now as tactical bomber, but conceivably replacing all types of manned aircraft. And, the ultimate - the robosoldier to replace the infantryman. If you want argument as to the desirability/cost-benefit of putting a human on board, see these conversations. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/28 "2016-10-12T02:58:13Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > We now know pretty much, down to the pound and cubic centimeter, just what is required to keep a human alive. > This has been discussed ad infitum since WWII - manned bomber or strategic missile - manned interceptor planes, or GTA missile? > > We have an interesting hybrid - the “drone” - now as tactical bomber, but conceivably replacing all types of manned aircraft. > And, the ultimate - the robosoldier to replace the infantryman. > > If you want argument as to the desirability/cost-benefit of putting a human on board, see these conversations. Except, when we talk about long-term prospects for Mars, the _whole point_ is to have humans there. Off the Earth. ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/29 "2016-10-12T03:06:58Z")
I guess as a species we are already feeling the crunch of needing more space to live. And much like ants that will cross water by walking across their drowning family we, too, will allow others to die in order to have new room to breed even more. We do it for room to breathe, in the hopes a new world won’t have the same problems this one has and… to be one step closer to reaching other galaxies (or stars, if you want to be romantic). ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/30 "2016-10-12T03:51:02Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Let’s see - what do we need to do to Mars to make it even remotely inhabitable by humans? > > 1. Atmosphere. There is no way to generate the nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere we need to even live. > So we send up lots of rockets with… Compressed gasses? Even if we could get the gasses to Mars and release them, the gravity will not keep them there, so we either need to up the gravity, or maybe build domes and keep only the domes full of air. The only even remotely likely way to give Mars an atmosphere again would be to crash icy asteroids/meteors into it. Sure, the resulting atmosphere would eventually bleed off into space… after a _very_ long time and assuming we retained space technology we could just lob more down onto Mars as needed. Except, of course, the aftereffects of dumping giant space [del]rocks[/del] iceballs on a planet. > [@](#): > > 1. Food. Where to even start? No native soil capable of growing anything. Remember the “Nitrogen Cycle”? You’d have to fiddle with some chemistry and add organic matter, but it might be possible to make suitable soil. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/31 "2016-10-12T07:49:21Z")
To grow potatoes where no potatoes have grown before… ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/32 "2016-10-12T11:30:07Z")
In the Cold War, space became a large part of our collective imagination and our national pride. During this era, many kids grew up reading the sci-fi novels that were so popular in this era. Those kids are now grown adults with real decision making power, and they’ve found a platform for making their childhood dreams a reality. The only problem is that subsequent generations have their own dreams. They’ve dreamed of a more just world, of a sustainable planet, of ending poverty, of new models for work, etc. The Baby Boomers have internalized this so much that they see it as a sort of universal human imperative. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/33 "2016-10-12T11:33:16Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Because it’s there. And it’s making faces at us! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/34 "2016-10-12T12:34:30Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > On the other hand, even if we did establish Martian colonies, it would take a very long time, if ever, before they were self-sufficient. In other words, if we had people on Mars and something happened to Earth, would the Martian colony be able to survive indefinitely and independently? I would think not, at least not for many generations. Then we’d better start working on it now, no? There are medieval cathedrals where the people who helped dig the foundations never saw the cathedral completed, nor did their children who followed them as stonemasons or builders. Only their grandchildren or great-grandchildren saw the final capstones placed. But if their ancestors hadn’t dug the foundations they never would have seen the finished edifice. We know we have a long way to go in both time and technological development. But if we don’t start now we’ll never get there. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/35 "2016-10-12T13:38:01Z")
[Yes I’m a big hippie] I don’t really care how feasible it is (or it seems at the moment). It’s a much more worthwhile waste of money, time, and dreams than most of the other stuff we’re willing to pool our collective energies toward. Abandon the F-35, or some other military wastes of money and let’s spend it on solar exploration instead. [/YIABH] ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/36 "2016-10-12T13:49:14Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > At the very least, in the process of establishing a Mars colony we will encounter and resolve a huge number of problems, resulting in technological innovations that will be of use in our everyday lives, much as the Apollo program resulted in the development of the microprocessor chip (so that they could have onboard computers, unlike the Soviet spacecraft, which relied on Earth-based computers). This and who can tell when we may need to deal with harsh environments here on earth if climate changes get very extreme or we want to set up more permanent bases at the poles or underwater. Some of the science we learn could be worth having on the shelf for the future. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/37 "2016-10-12T13:59:04Z")
We don’t. It’s a publicity stunt, to send the message that “America can, and will”, regardless of the merit of doing so. We did the same with the moon, and just said “meh” when the novelty outgrew its usefulness. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/38 "2016-10-12T14:15:31Z")
\*The air’s on fire so we’re movin’ on Better find another one ‘cause this one’s done Waitin’ for the magic when the scientists glow To push, push, push, push, pull us up Spend some time to float in outer space Find another planet, make the same mistakes\* -Modest Mouse, “Lampshades on Fire” What they said. More to the point: a Mars mission would make the Apollo program look cheap. Even if we were someday able to set up a self-sustaining colony on Mars, so what? If we screw up Earth beyond redemption (or if an asteroid hits), that still takes out most of humanity. Really, is it that important for the _species_ to survive elsewhere, if most of the actual _people_ die, or are simply stuck on a planet that’s increasingly a hellhole? Fuck it. Let’s put all that money and talent and energy into _preserving_ the Terraforming of Earth, since we don’t have to start from scratch or anything. Not to mention, you know what really works well in outer space, or on planets without Earth-like atmospheres? Robots. Don’t need food, don’t need water, don’t need air, need only minimal protection from cosmic radiation, can handle g-forces well beyond what we can. (ETA: And expendable if a spacecraft blows up or gets lost.) As we’ve already found out, they’re great at exploring the solar system. Let’s keep doing that, then send them to the stars. As long as they continue to send back lots of pictures, I’m good with that. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/39 "2016-10-12T14:36:22Z")
This discussion makes me think of [this XKCD cartoon.](https://xkcd.com/893/) The kicker is the mouse-over note: > [@XKCD](#): > > The universe is probably littered with the one-planet graves of cultures which made the sensible economic decision that there’s no good reason to go into space - each discovered, studied, and remembered by the ones who made the irrational decision. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281/40 "2016-10-12T14:40:22Z")
If there are other intelligent species out there, there might be a few that are lucky enough to have more than one habitable planet in their solar system. That would make it much easier to establish off-world colonies. Or perhaps there are ones in which the nearest habitable planet in another star system is only a few light years away. Because for us, it looks like anything habitable (without massive terraforming) is many light years distant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-why-do-we-want-to-colonize-mars/768281.md?page=3)