New Mars Forums

ANTIcarrot.

Member

From: Herts, UK

Registered: 2004-04-27

Posts: 170

Re: Not so human missions - No man is an island...

And neither is humanity as a species. Obviously we'll be taking a few plants along for life support, and maybe later a few more for flavour. But in the long run, what other species would we want to take?

Birds and other species optimised for high alltitude are probable going to be able to survive outside on mars many years before humans can. (If we terraform.) Alternatively if we're going to adapt ourselves to mars we'll need to release a few test mammels first.

People being people will sooner or later want to bring their pets. And no doubt some of the mountain man types will eventually want to bring along some live/game-stock, so they can have the fun of killing something.

So what species would we take along? How would we get them there? Would some of them be better suited than others to living in tin cans? What unique breeds or even species might develop on mars? Would the martian habitat chage the way we view others from Earth?

Or do people think those who go to mars will leave such childish nonsense behind?

I wasn't sure where to ask this, but this is usually where colonisation is discussed, so I thought this would be a good a place as any. My appologies to the admin if it isn't.

ANTIcarrot.

Ian Flint

Member

From: Colorado

Registered: 2003-09-24

Posts: 437

Re: Not so human missions - No man is an island...

Well, first we need some carrots for ANTIcarrot!  You can't avoid carrots forever, man!!! :laugh:

Dook

Banned

From: USA

Registered: 2004-01-09

Posts: 1,409

Re: Not so human missions - No man is an island...

As far as using plants for life support I don't think it would be possible.  They produce such small amounts that a days worth wouldn't give more than a breath or two.  I believe ocean algae produces the most oxygen.  There have been shuttle flights that had this algae aboard as an experiment. 

I would only put plants aboard a flight to mars for cosmetic reasons.

Hop

Member

From: Ajo

Registered: 2004-04-19

Posts: 146

Website

Re: Not so human missions - No man is an island...

I believe we would eventually need to bring along some obnoxious critters. Garbage disposal bugs are necessary cogs for an eco-system. Spiders and other predators are useful population controls for the bugs.

I would be surprised if cockroaches didn't manage to stow away and hitch rides to various habs.

---

Hop's [url=http://www.amazon.com/Conic-Sections-Celestial-Mechanics-Coloring/dp/1936037106]Orbital Mechanics Coloring Book[/url] - For kids from kindergarten to college.

RobS

Banned

From: South Bend, IN

Registered: 2002-01-15

Posts: 1,701

Website

Re: Not so human missions - No man is an island...

A few things I'd bring along:

1. Herbs. They're small, compact, and make frozen meals taste better. They can be used on the ship to Mars as well as in a small greenhouse inside a hab. There's a restaurant in the Chicago area that has a six foot wide, six foot high bookcase with grow lights and herbs near the front door; I'm thinking of something that size.

2. If you have more space (say, an inflatable greenhouse on the surface), then some vegetables and a few berries (peas, beans, tomatoes, squash, strawberries, peppers, eggplants, carrots, lettuce, radishes, spinach, for example).

3. A bit more space and you could raise bananas, oranges, apples, lemons, and maybe a few other fruits in pots. Possibly one would want a few nut trees with more space.

4. Once you have a functioning greenhouse that produces waste plant matter (stems, leaves, roots) you will need a mushroom chamber (maybe under some of the pots or vegetable beds) to convert the useless plant matter into edible mushrooms.

5. With a bit more spare plant matter, import chickens and rabbits. They can eat table scraps as well. As the greenhouse grows you continue diversifying your plants, adding wheat, corn, maybe sugar beets, maybe cotton (if you need fiber). With sufficient spare plant matter you can import a small paper making machine to extract cellulose from woody stems and make paper.

6. With a bit more water--once you have a well--import rice, tilapia, and other vegetarian fish. It might be interesting flying them to Mars!

7. With more spare plant matter and more space: turkeys, miniature pigs, canaries (for their singing), dogs (as pets), sheep, goats, cows. I'd import one female of a small breed initially and frozen embryos of the other breeds, which would be implanted into the female. Exotics to consider: ostriches (good meat). Some of these animals might have to be sedated during launch and landing.

8. With luxurious amounts of space: flowers, ornamental plants, bamboo (a ten meter square stand in a dome would be a great adventure to explore for children), and a variety of trees. With larger amounts of space one would want a variety of climates (Mediterranean, tropical, temperate, etc.).

         -- RobS