New Mars Forums

Official discussion forum of The Mars Society and MarsNews.com

You are not logged in.

Announcement

Announcement: This forum is accepting new registrations via email. Please see Recruiting Topic for additional information. Write newmarsmember[at_symbol]gmail.com.

#3851 Re: Interplanetary transportation » New Fuel » 2007-10-28 15:37:29

What about flour? That explodes. If mixed with a solid powdered oxidiser...

#3852 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Mars asteroid Craft » 2007-10-28 12:45:22

You'd still have the asteroid parked in orbit.

You need I think 5 metres depth of water for enough radiation shielding.

#3853 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Mars asteroid Craft » 2007-10-28 12:27:43

Weight? You wouldn't be launching a massively heavy craft.

#3854 Re: Interplanetary transportation » Mars asteroid Craft » 2007-10-28 12:20:10

How about launching a craft towards the nearest asteroid, inbedding into it and using it for radiation protection on the way to mars?

#3855 Re: Planetary transportation » Drilling on Mars » 2007-10-28 11:06:17

The only problem with this appraoch is that when you drilled through a gas pocket the lasers would ignite the gas creating a blowout which will destroy the mining rig.

Only if you've Terraformed Mars first. If you haven't there is no O2 to burn.

#3856 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Earth Death » 2007-10-27 14:39:38

If you really want to take a 'scientific' view on when the earth dies, most say when the sun explodes in 5,000,000,000 years. That's wrong. It will die in about 4,000,000,000 years as Alpha Centauri explodes in a spectaclular Double Supernova.

#3857 Re: Terraformation » Moon Creation » 2007-10-27 14:19:23

Nah, probably wouldn't be economical. Ceres is to big to move.

#3858 Re: Meta New Mars » Spammer » 2007-10-27 14:18:02

Oh, I din't realise deleted posts don't show up on peoples info.

#3859 Re: Martian Chronicles » Asteroid, Earth, Colony; ingredients for a book? » 2007-10-27 14:16:58

Of course, the moon could get slammed instead, destablising its orbit and sending it crashing into the Earth. To use K.A Applegates phrase from Remnats: The Mayflower project; It would be like whacking a sledgehammer into a melon. Bang.

#3860 Re: Terraformation » Moon Creation » 2007-10-27 07:21:30

Moons are very useful. They create tides and with enough tidal flexing Mars' core might heat up again.

#3861 Re: Martian Chronicles » Asteroid, Earth, Colony; ingredients for a book? » 2007-10-27 07:18:58

Why would they want to? Mars already has a hab for them. I suppose a few could split off and go to Ceres or a Jovian Moon.

#3862 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » Why people can't live on Mars. » 2007-10-27 07:16:40

But there isn't an incentive for a nation to seed a colony on Mars. And I can't think why a private company would want to. Bottom line: No-one lives on Mars. If a private company Para-terraforms a part of Mars, anyone can move in without paying cash to the company, therefore there is no incentive.



Outer Space Treaty

#3863 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » Why people can't live on Mars. » 2007-10-27 05:52:47

I placed this in the human missions because it was the best place for it.

I've just been flicking through the Outer Space Treaty. Don't get you're hopes up about living on Mars, it's banned under international treaty.

Article II
Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.

Let's dissect that.

by means of use or occupation

Sorry, no habs or colonies.

#3864 Re: Water on Mars » Plaut et al: South pole has enough water to cover planet » 2007-10-27 04:27:05

It's a debatable point whether the Mars-Jupiter asteroid belt is in the inner or outer solar system.

#3865 Re: Martian Chronicles » Asteroid, Earth, Colony; ingredients for a book? » 2007-10-26 14:49:28

I've come up with an idea for a story in which the worlds first mars colony ship has been launched then Earth gets slammed by an asteroid, leaving the colonists all that remains of the human race.

#3866 Re: Meta New Mars » Spammer » 2007-10-26 14:45:58

Doktor hasn't posted anything, how can they be a spammer.

#3867 Re: Meta New Mars » We need new moderators » 2007-10-26 14:41:17

His willingness and glee in pursuing discourse that is divisive and inicendiary

Like?

#3868 Re: Terraformation » Moon Creation » 2007-10-26 14:02:34

I know it would be poosible, but would it be economical to nudge small asteroids (aka annoying space debris) together to create a moon for Mars? You'd nudge them into the desired place in orbit first, crash the largest togethe the gravity takes over. If you use iron ones the moon won't have to be as big to stablise the planets tilt?

#3869 Re: Human missions » Marsdrive Mission Design » 2007-10-26 13:30:43

I'd say we already have nuclear rockets (the tech is there), it's just we don't need them yet as we havn't even started planning a mission outside Earths orbit.

#3870 Re: Human missions » Marsdrive Mission Design » 2007-10-26 10:56:17

Apparantly accelerating at 1g for half the journey and the deccelerating at 1g would get you there in 1-2 days and it is possible to carry enough fuel. That would obliterate most problems of radiation and exercise on the way to mars. Cargo would take the slow boat as it doesn't need as much protection.

One note concerning location. The best location would me the caves. A mobile hab could then be 'driven' underground for radiation protection.

#3871 Re: Intelligent Alien Life » Why is the Universe silent? » 2007-10-26 10:31:58

The amount of variables for a planet on which intelligent life can exist are huge, including just the right amount of material in it's star, the size of the star, etc: on a galactic scale the system has to be in just the right orbit. The galaxy has to be the right shape. The age of the universe has to be right as well, to allow enough elements to have accumalated in the right place, etc, ec. I could go on but I'd get bored. There could be other intelligent species, but probably only one per ten galaxies. They'd only be slightly more or less advanced than us, more likely less.

Has anyone considered the possiblity that the purpose of humanity is to seed life and improve it all around the Universe. We might me meant to give other civilizations a helping hand, if the anthropologists don't stop us like they try to stop us helping primitive people. Sure, we don't get any help starting out, but we'd always be more advanced than anyone else. Has anyone played the X games? Our purpose may be that of the ancient ones, to make jumpgates and give all the lesser races a helping hand(s).
We would be like gods to them. If you believe in what the bible says, it could be what was meant by 'developing into his likeness.'

#3872 Re: Intelligent Alien Life » Evidence of an intelligent species! » 2007-10-26 10:06:55

You're changing them so much that you're seeing things that aren't actually there. As is the case with most alien sightings, if not all.

#3873 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » Land Allowance » 2007-10-25 10:47:39

Mostly because the Arabs have no idea what they are fighting for.

Actually they do. They are fighting to destroy Israel.

#3874 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » Land Allowance » 2007-10-22 12:07:17

Don't diss people who claim Ceres. I did that. I'll probably take it by force if anyone objects. I'll launch a probe with a flag onboard so I have a flag stuck in it. You try doing that with Adromeda. You'll be dead before it gets there.

#3875 Re: Terraformation » Water Vapour instead of Nitrogen » 2007-10-22 07:43:05

So how much of the atmosphere can be H2O to produce a feedback of heat to keep the water as a gas? Would the temp. be survivable by humans?

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB