Mars Too Small to Be Habitable, New Study Suggests

[We Never Know]

Well there goes that plan. Time to make another one lol

“Mars’ fate was decided from the beginning,” said senior author Dr. Kun Wang, a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

“There is likely a threshold on the size requirements of rocky planets to retain enough water to enable habitability and plate tectonics, with mass exceeding that of Mars.”

Read more at ....
Mars Too Small to Be Habitable, New Study Suggests | Sci-News.com

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Well there goes that plan. Time to make another one lol

“Mars’ fate was decided from the beginning,” said senior author Dr. Kun Wang, a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

“There is likely a threshold on the size requirements of rocky planets to retain enough water to enable habitability and plate tectonics, with mass exceeding that of Mars.”

Read more at ....
Mars Too Small to Be Habitable, New Study Suggests | Sci-News.com

So, the old standby of 'size doesn't matter' is proven false. Science ftw!

 

[Brickjectivity]

Well there goes that plan. Time to make another one lol
... ... ...
Read more at ....
Mars Too Small to Be Habitable, New Study Suggests | Sci-News.com

Thanks for the information link though this news about Mars is a little disappointing.

 

[Heyo]

Well there goes that plan. Time to make another one lol

I don't think terraforming Mars was ever an option. Underground cities, yes, maybe even domes but no surface dwelling with a real atmosphere.

 

[Heyo]

So, the old standby of 'size doesn't matter' is proven false. Science ftw!

Technically it isn't the size that matters but the mass.

 

[Meow Mix]

Going to Mars won't help with anything other than practice anyway. There's little of value on Mars in terms of colonization except for scientific purposes. Paradoxically, its gravity well is in between being good as a launching point for further exploration and good for colonization (using Luna as a launching point would be marginally better).

The fact is that there's no Earth 2 within reach anytime soon. We have to take care of the one planet we have. That isn't to say we shouldn't colonize Mars with scientists, because we should. But people hoping for some kind of colonization involving vast cities and other sci-fi wonders are kidding themselves.

 

[We Never Know]

I don't think terraforming Mars was ever an option. Underground cities, yes, maybe even domes but no surface dwelling with a real atmosphere.

We can't/don't even populate the harshest places here on earth, which are nothing compared to Mars. So in my opinion its mostly been just a waste of time and money but people have to produce some results if they want to keep getting funding.

 

[Heyo]

(using Luna as a launching point would be marginally better).

Using Luna as a launching point would be way better. Almost no atmosphere, less gravity, nearby, rich in iron, more sunlight, what's not to love about Luna? The only thing that goes for Mars is that there may be more water.

 

[74x12]

Well there goes that plan. Time to make another one lol

“Mars’ fate was decided from the beginning,” said senior author Dr. Kun Wang, a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

“There is likely a threshold on the size requirements of rocky planets to retain enough water to enable habitability and plate tectonics, with mass exceeding that of Mars.”

Read more at ....
Mars Too Small to Be Habitable, New Study Suggests | Sci-News.com

It "suggests" does it? Pretty certain they already have colonies on Mars.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Technically it isn't the size that matters but the mass.

Ahhh...point taken. If it was hollow...actually, the analogy kinda falls apart at this point. So I'll just stick with 'point taken'.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

We can't/don't even populate the harshest places here on earth, which are nothing compared to Mars.

You say that, but the crime rate on Mars is way lower than the mean streets of Detroit, and people live there. I mean...a few do, anyway.

 

[Meow Mix]

Using Luna as a launching point would be way better. Almost no atmosphere, less gravity, nearby, rich in iron, more sunlight, what's not to love about Luna? The only thing that goes for Mars is that there may be more water.

Earth’s gravity is still pretty significant at Luna distances in terms of delta v calculations; it would only be marginally better than Mars

 

[Dan From Smithville]

It "suggests" does it? Pretty certain they already have colonies on Mars.

FEMA camps?

 

[Heyo]

Earth’s gravity is still pretty significant at Luna distances in terms of delta v calculations; it would only be marginally better than Mars

True, but you can obit a payload with a linear accelerator and you have a nice massive body nearby for slingshot manoeuvrers.

 

[exchemist]

It "suggests" does it? Pretty certain they already have colonies on Mars.

"They"?

 

[Twilight Hue]

It "suggests" does it? Pretty certain they already have colonies on Mars.

Somebody has to clean the rovers...

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't think terraforming Mars was ever an option. Underground cities, yes, maybe even domes but no surface dwelling with a real atmosphere.

This was obvious from the outset.
Mars lost its water & atmosphere long ago.
We can't do anything to change the cause of that.
So its even less habitable than the Moon, which is
closer, & has lower gravity.

 

[Revoltingest]

That isn't to say we shouldn't colonize Mars with scientists, because we should.

Scientists are fragile creatures. I don't see sending them
there as worth the many billions of dollars it would cost.
Probes & remote sensing are more cost effective & productive.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Scientists are fragile creatures. I don't see sending them
there as worth the many billions of dollars it would cost.
Probes & remote sensing are more cost effective & productive.

What about Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. Maybe two day free shipping is the best means.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Scientists are fragile creatures. I don't see sending them
there as worth the many billions of dollars it would cost.
Probes & remote sensing are more cost effective & productive.

Most space exploration could be carried out by robot probes.