Get to Mars!
Governments, space agencies, groups, consortiums, etc have been talking about a manned mission to mars for about 70 years. It always seems to be 20 years away and that was 50 years ago!!
In any case here is way we can prepare the way to get to mars, that will be cheaper, faster, and safer (to humans at least) than a full human mission. That would be to send robots, not the typical robots used in the NASA missions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars
No, rather we should send the following robots:
These robots will be sent to mars not only to explore but, to build the infrastructure needed for a manned mission to mars. The robots will build airtight structures for human astronauts, build or set up the power generation facility, water recycling facility, air conditioning and carbon dioxide scrubbers, etc.
The benefits of sending "worker" robots to mars are many:
1. Robots don't need water, air, food, earth atmospheric pressure, or a narrow range of temperatures to operate. They simply need an energy source. This makes it easier for them to operate on the surface of mars, without a preexisting infrastructure. Robots can dig mines for resources or help convert resources on the surface of mars into water, air, and fuel.
2. Robots can be turned off or put in "hibernation" mode on the trip from earth to mars, thereby conserving energy. Since Robots don't need, water, air, atmospheric pressure, or a narrow range of temperatures the cost, weight, complexity of the mission will be far less than if a manned mission was sent.
3. The weight for water, air, and air conditioning technologies on the mission could instead be used to transport building materials, and life support technologies.
4. Robots can be mass produced cheaply and effectively. So it would be possible to send many missions to Mars at once. Also, since they aren't yet completely conscious, it would be easier for space agencies to tolerate a loss. Also, robots could be shut down or placed in hibernation mode if they get trapped or lost on the surface of mars.
5. There may still the problem of communications time lag, it takes approximately 13 minutes, 48 seconds, on average, for a signal traveling at or near the speed of light to reach mars. With a minimum of 4 minutes to a maximum of 24 minutes.
http://blogs.esa.int/mex/2012/08/05/time-delay-between-mars-and-earth/
So, the Robot may need to be equipped with some basic artificial intelligence to build airtight structures or set up life support technologies, without complete human assistance.
Once the robots are done building the airtight living quarters, setting up the water, air, air conditioning, carbon scrubbers, food technologies and we can ensure that they were built correctly then space agencies can send a full Human mission to mars.
It may even be possible to place resources, like food, energy resources, in orbit around the earth or in a trajectory between earth and mars to reduce the amount of resources need to be launched from earth. The Astronauts simply capture the capsule or dock with the resource base and get food and other resources. This way the weight and complexity of the mission launched from earth will be reduced.
I was thinking, instead of programming or training robots to build living structures for humans on the surface of mars, it may be easier, cheaper, and faster to instead have the robots dig a mine on mars. The benefits of mine are several.
Building a mine on mars has several advantages. If the mine is dug deep enough it will be airtight, also the tons of material around the mine will act as an insulator keeping the temperature relatively constant. Also the mine will protect astronauts from harmful cosmic rays emitted from the sun and universe. Finally, digging a mine maybe easier than building an airtight structure on the surface.
Building a structure on the surface of mars may require setting concrete, or whatever type of material will set on the surface of mars. It may require support beams and structures, which could be difficult for the robots to set up. It may require covering the structure with airtight panels, insulation, electrical conduits, plumbing, etc. All of which may be challenging for robots!
A mine under the surface of mars will reduce the amount of support structures needed, also eliminate the need for airtight construction and insulation. All the robots will have to do is dig deep underground, once at sufficiently deep depth, dig out the living space, create an airtight seal at the opening of the mine on the surface, take the life support systems into the living quarters and set them up.
The robots can help set up hydroponic systems to grow food with little soil and little water:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics
There are many details to be worked out but, I think the robots can handle it.
So if we want to get our asses to mars, then robots may be the way.
In any case here is way we can prepare the way to get to mars, that will be cheaper, faster, and safer (to humans at least) than a full human mission. That would be to send robots, not the typical robots used in the NASA missions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars
No, rather we should send the following robots:
These robots will be sent to mars not only to explore but, to build the infrastructure needed for a manned mission to mars. The robots will build airtight structures for human astronauts, build or set up the power generation facility, water recycling facility, air conditioning and carbon dioxide scrubbers, etc.
The benefits of sending "worker" robots to mars are many:
1. Robots don't need water, air, food, earth atmospheric pressure, or a narrow range of temperatures to operate. They simply need an energy source. This makes it easier for them to operate on the surface of mars, without a preexisting infrastructure. Robots can dig mines for resources or help convert resources on the surface of mars into water, air, and fuel.
2. Robots can be turned off or put in "hibernation" mode on the trip from earth to mars, thereby conserving energy. Since Robots don't need, water, air, atmospheric pressure, or a narrow range of temperatures the cost, weight, complexity of the mission will be far less than if a manned mission was sent.
3. The weight for water, air, and air conditioning technologies on the mission could instead be used to transport building materials, and life support technologies.
4. Robots can be mass produced cheaply and effectively. So it would be possible to send many missions to Mars at once. Also, since they aren't yet completely conscious, it would be easier for space agencies to tolerate a loss. Also, robots could be shut down or placed in hibernation mode if they get trapped or lost on the surface of mars.
5. There may still the problem of communications time lag, it takes approximately 13 minutes, 48 seconds, on average, for a signal traveling at or near the speed of light to reach mars. With a minimum of 4 minutes to a maximum of 24 minutes.
http://blogs.esa.int/mex/2012/08/05/time-delay-between-mars-and-earth/
So, the Robot may need to be equipped with some basic artificial intelligence to build airtight structures or set up life support technologies, without complete human assistance.
Once the robots are done building the airtight living quarters, setting up the water, air, air conditioning, carbon scrubbers, food technologies and we can ensure that they were built correctly then space agencies can send a full Human mission to mars.
It may even be possible to place resources, like food, energy resources, in orbit around the earth or in a trajectory between earth and mars to reduce the amount of resources need to be launched from earth. The Astronauts simply capture the capsule or dock with the resource base and get food and other resources. This way the weight and complexity of the mission launched from earth will be reduced.
I was thinking, instead of programming or training robots to build living structures for humans on the surface of mars, it may be easier, cheaper, and faster to instead have the robots dig a mine on mars. The benefits of mine are several.
Building a mine on mars has several advantages. If the mine is dug deep enough it will be airtight, also the tons of material around the mine will act as an insulator keeping the temperature relatively constant. Also the mine will protect astronauts from harmful cosmic rays emitted from the sun and universe. Finally, digging a mine maybe easier than building an airtight structure on the surface.
Building a structure on the surface of mars may require setting concrete, or whatever type of material will set on the surface of mars. It may require support beams and structures, which could be difficult for the robots to set up. It may require covering the structure with airtight panels, insulation, electrical conduits, plumbing, etc. All of which may be challenging for robots!
A mine under the surface of mars will reduce the amount of support structures needed, also eliminate the need for airtight construction and insulation. All the robots will have to do is dig deep underground, once at sufficiently deep depth, dig out the living space, create an airtight seal at the opening of the mine on the surface, take the life support systems into the living quarters and set them up.
The robots can help set up hydroponic systems to grow food with little soil and little water:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics
There are many details to be worked out but, I think the robots can handle it.
So if we want to get our asses to mars, then robots may be the way.
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