A black humanoid on Mars and a man without a space suit on the Moon: What is NASA hiding? What will happen to a man on Mars without a spacesuit. Oxygen on Mars: how to create an atmosphere from "nothing"? What happens if you take off your spacesuit on Mars
Once we told you Why aren't aliens coming?. And why don't we fly to other planets, even within the solar system?
Neil degrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, told Business Insider about what awaits us if we were on these planets without a space suit and other protection. And we supplemented this with other interesting facts.
Let's start in order - with our main star.
The body of an adult is on average 65% water. So you just evaporate, and it happens in a split second.
Interestingly, the surface of the Sun is considered its "coolest" part - the temperature there is 5.5 thousand degrees Celsius (for comparison: in the center of the core - almost 14 million, in the corona an average of about 1.5 million). In any case, a descent to the Sun is out of the question.
And yet you might be surprised how close you can fly to it without fear of being burned alive. If the distance from the Earth to the Sun is represented as a football field, then you can get close to someone else's penalty area, according to Popular Science. Another thing is that even earlier a person will die from radiation.
Mercury
This planet, the closest to the Sun, has no atmosphere, so it has both extremely high and extremely low temperatures. The day side is incredibly hot (up to 430 degrees Celsius), and on the night side, on the contrary, there is a terrible cold (minus 180 degrees). The descent to Mercury will be like slow roasting on a spit. As long as you have enough breath, so much you will live - that is, less than 2 minutes.
However, if you have a suitable spacesuit and other protective equipment, it will be quite possible to settle on Mercury. True, only one zone is suitable for this - the so-called "terminator", the border between the day and night sides, Josh Barker, an employee of the British National Space Center, told Space Answers.
The planet rotates slowly around its axis (one local day = 88 Earth days), so the boundary shifts just as slowly. The temperature in the "terminator" is the most constant and relatively acceptable (only minus 100).
Venus
The average temperature on the surface is 470 degrees, which is hotter than in a stove (and, by the way, hotter than on the sunny side of Mercury). The pressure is 90 times higher than atmospheric pressure on the Earth's surface. So the colonization of Venus is out of the question, scientist Sten Odenwald categorically states on The Astronomy Cafe website. The planet will literally fry and crush you in an instant, not even allowing you to get from the spaceship to the already ready and fully equipped camp (assuming that this is even possible).
However, on Venus, gravity is about the same as on Earth. So in this regard, you will feel “at home” there - until you evaporate, Degrasse Tyson jokes.
Mars
It is very cold on the surface, averaging minus 63 degrees Celsius, but the air is rarefied, so the cold is not felt as severe as it would be at the same temperature on Earth. Wearing warm clothes will give you enough time to quickly look around - it all depends on how long you can hold your breath.
The main problem is low atmospheric pressure - compared to Earth, Mars is almost a vacuum. Therefore, without a spacesuit, a person is waiting for rupture of the skin and organs, degassing and a painful, albeit quick death, Chris Webster from the NASA laboratory, which is responsible for the operation of the Curiosity rover, clarifies to Business Insider.
In many other ways, the "Red Planet" is just as hostile to humans: lack of oxygen (only 0.1%, while on Earth 20%), Martian dust from which nowhere to hide, intense UV radiation, and chemicals and oxidizing agents on the surface .
However, of all the planets in the solar system, only Mars is theoretically suitable for colonization.
Jupiter
This largest planet in our system has no surface - nowhere to land - so you will "infinitely" dive into the gaseous atmosphere until you are crushed under its layers. And it will happen in a split second.
Saturn
Same scenario as on Jupiter. It is also a gas giant (like Uranus and Neptune). You will not be able to "walk" along the famous rings of Saturn. They are not a single solid body, but consist of a myriad of tiny particles.
If it's ever possible to send a human exploratory mission anywhere, it's to one of Saturn's moons. Enceladus, for example, is believed to have the potential to sustain life. True, its size is only 3% of the size of the Earth, according to Moonphases.info.
Uranus and Neptune
Regarding these two most distant planets of the solar system (Pluto, as you know, was deprived of the status of a planet), NASA answers the same way: “You can only survive in a safe spaceship, flying by.” Landing on them is impossible.
And this is what happens in the end: on most planets, a person, as he is, will not live even a second. Less than two minutes you can hold out on Mercury and Mars. There is only one conclusion - there is no better place than the Earth.
Once we told you Why aren't aliens coming?. And why don't we fly to other planets, even within the solar system?
Neil degrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, told Business Insider about what awaits us if we were on these planets without a space suit and other protection. And we supplemented this with other interesting facts.
Let's start in order - with our main star.
The body of an adult is on average 65% water. So you just evaporate, and it happens in a split second.
Interestingly, the surface of the Sun is considered its "coolest" part - the temperature there is 5.5 thousand degrees Celsius (for comparison: in the center of the core - almost 14 million, in the corona an average of about 1.5 million). In any case, a descent to the Sun is out of the question.
And yet you might be surprised how close you can fly to it without fear of being burned alive. If the distance from the Earth to the Sun is represented as a football field, then you can get close to someone else's penalty area, according to Popular Science. Another thing is that even earlier a person will die from radiation.
Mercury
This planet, the closest to the Sun, has no atmosphere, so it has both extremely high and extremely low temperatures. The day side is incredibly hot (up to 430 degrees Celsius), and on the night side, on the contrary, there is a terrible cold (minus 180 degrees). The descent to Mercury will be like slow roasting on a spit. As long as you have enough breath, so much you will live - that is, less than 2 minutes.
However, if you have a suitable spacesuit and other protective equipment, it will be quite possible to settle on Mercury. True, only one zone is suitable for this - the so-called "terminator", the border between the day and night sides, Josh Barker, an employee of the British National Space Center, told Space Answers.
The planet rotates slowly around its axis (one local day = 88 Earth days), so the boundary shifts just as slowly. The temperature in the "terminator" is the most constant and relatively acceptable (only minus 100).
Venus
The average temperature on the surface is 470 degrees, which is hotter than in a stove (and, by the way, hotter than on the sunny side of Mercury). The pressure is 90 times higher than atmospheric pressure on the Earth's surface. So the colonization of Venus is out of the question, scientist Sten Odenwald categorically states on The Astronomy Cafe website. The planet will literally fry and crush you in an instant, not even allowing you to get from the spaceship to the already ready and fully equipped camp (assuming that this is even possible).
However, on Venus, gravity is about the same as on Earth. So in this regard, you will feel “at home” there - until you evaporate, Degrasse Tyson jokes.
Mars
It is very cold on the surface, averaging minus 63 degrees Celsius, but the air is rarefied, so the cold is not felt as severe as it would be at the same temperature on Earth. Wearing warm clothes will give you enough time to quickly look around - it all depends on how long you can hold your breath.
The main problem is low atmospheric pressure - compared to Earth, Mars is almost a vacuum. Therefore, without a spacesuit, a person is waiting for rupture of the skin and organs, degassing and a painful, albeit quick death, Chris Webster from the NASA laboratory, which is responsible for the operation of the Curiosity rover, clarifies to Business Insider.
In many other ways, the "Red Planet" is just as hostile to humans: lack of oxygen (only 0.1%, while on Earth 20%), Martian dust from which nowhere to hide, intense UV radiation, and chemicals and oxidizing agents on the surface .
However, of all the planets in the solar system, only Mars is theoretically suitable for colonization.
Jupiter
This largest planet in our system has no surface - nowhere to land - so you will "infinitely" dive into the gaseous atmosphere until you are crushed under its layers. And it will happen in a split second.
Saturn
Same scenario as on Jupiter. It is also a gas giant (like Uranus and Neptune). You will not be able to "walk" along the famous rings of Saturn. They are not a single solid body, but consist of a myriad of tiny particles.
If it's ever possible to send a human exploratory mission anywhere, it's to one of Saturn's moons. Enceladus, for example, is believed to have the potential to sustain life. True, its size is only 3% of the size of the Earth, according to Moonphases.info.
Uranus and Neptune
Regarding these two most distant planets of the solar system (Pluto, as you know, was deprived of the status of a planet), NASA answers the same way: “You can only survive in a safe spaceship, flying by.” Landing on them is impossible.
And this is what happens in the end: on most planets, a person, as he is, will not live even a second. Less than two minutes you can hold out on Mercury and Mars. There is only one conclusion - there is no better place than the Earth.
Today we are witnessing how the colonization of Mars is moving from a popular science fiction idea into a real project of many space agencies. But what obstacles await the colonists on the way to settling Mars?
Can humans live on Mars?
In theory, life outside of Earth is possible, but survival on Mars is hampered by the harsh conditions on it. Here is a short list of what stands in the way of establishing the first settlement on Mars:
- , which is a third of the earth. Although it seems to be a fairly harmless property, in reality it can turn out to be a source of problems that are difficult to predict now. It will be difficult for earthlings to adapt to such a weak attraction, and its effect on the body of an earthling is unpredictable. In addition, in the perspective of generations, people born outside the Earth will be different from its inhabitants - and the reason for this is low gravity. However, the differences will not make the Martians unrecognizable, as their genetics will remain the same.
- Another obstacle that everyone hears is high. Humanity already has the technology to protect itself from radiation, but much more powerful equipment will be required to colonize the neighboring world. Its construction and transportation will greatly delay the preparation of the Martian mission, and people on the surface will be forced to keep their protective equipment in order not to be exposed to the background radiation.
- a hundred times thinner than the earth, consists of 95 percent carbon dioxide and only 0.15% oxygen. In addition, the planet has a changeable climate, and the average temperature is -63 degrees Celsius.
- Dust and dust storms are dangerous both for future settlers and their equipment. Those who can live there will have to make storm forecasts, build shelters and look for ways to protect equipment upon arrival.
- Finally, the lack of water in liquid form will be a difficult factor for the inhabitants of a planet where oceans cover 70% of the area.
All these obstacles can greatly slow down the colonization program, but they are not the reasons why life on Mars is impossible. And let only the next generations be able to check whether this idea is reality or fiction, today we can already talk about the fact that it is possible to live on Mars.
How many people will live without a space suit
Even if the idea of creating an earthly settlement on Mars comes true, going to the surface without a spacesuit is still not worth it for two reasons.
Firstly, the composition of the planet's atmosphere makes it impossible to breathe in it - for the most part it consists of carbon dioxide, and oxygen makes up a tenth of a percent in it.
Secondly, the atmosphere itself is extremely thin. The first of the consequences of this fact is the low pressure near the surface, which is 0.6% of the earth's. This is well below the so-called Armstrong limit, the level at which the pressure is so weak that water boils at body temperature.
Thirdly, low temperature. In summer, at the equator, it reaches +20 degrees Celsius, but in the middle latitudes it is rather closer to -50.
Fourthly, the complete absence of any natural protection from solar radiation, which is the ozone layer on earth.
It is impossible to predict exactly what will happen if you go to the surface without a space suit - you will either freeze, or die from hypoxia, or be exposed to a high dose of radiation. In any case, a man without protection will not live on Mars for more than a few seconds.
How to survive on Mars
Let's assume that the spaceship with a group of settlers has successfully reached its destination. Now they have to survive on an alien planet. Mars itself is unsuitable for life, that is, its future population will have to look for ways to create a colony using terrestrial technologies, and then change the planet itself, adapting it to life. The needs of future colonists can be divided into two main groups: Shelter and Resources.
Let's start with shelters. They will immediately be able to solve problems such as the level of radiation on Mars, as well as protect people and equipment from dust and dust storms. There are two options for what the first city on a distant planet will be:
- Underground settlement. Living in underground tunnels is a common idea. It addresses security issues, but counterbalances them with others - building this type of shelter will take a long time.
- Dome. Strictly speaking, this may not be a real dome - any closed ground structures are included in this item. They can be partially assembled on Earth, so building this type of city should not take the settlers much time. However, the reliability of such buildings is lower. In addition, over time, they will need repairs, and the delivery of goods from Earth is too long and costly, so the colony should be as autonomous as possible.
Perhaps a combination of both methods could solve the problem of how to survive on Mars. Or, over time, a completely different way of building a settlement will be developed. In any case, this will have to be dealt with by anyone who will direct the flight of the colonists.
Let's move on to the second problem - resources. The first is water and oxygen. The issue of oxygen inside closed buildings is solved by growing plants that will also serve as food for their inhabitants.
To address the issue of the lack of liquid water, a very ambitious project is being proposed - melting the polar caps. This will cover the planet with oceans and start the process of terraformation. Part of the water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen, thereby changing the composition of the atmosphere, making it denser and, in the future, even breathable.
So, the short answer to the question of how we will live on Mars is probably difficult. It will take time to adjust, as well as new solutions and technologies for people to safely settle on an alien planet, and the process of changing the surface and atmosphere is likely to last several generations.
All problems are solved, and one question remains - how many people to send? Of course, not everyone is suitable for such a flight - all flight participants will be selected according to criteria, including education, health and psychological stability.
Probably, the sending of people will take place in stages and the first to fly will be those who can create conditions for the arrival of the next group. There will be four of them. When several such groups arrive on Mars, the settlement will consist of 20 people. It is also possible that this number will approach a million by the middle of the 21st century - however, only one project names such figures.
It is hoped that in the future, when Mars becomes habitable, it will help solve the problems of the Earth's population. But at first, people will live there only as a small number of scientists and colonists.
Space remains of interest and attractiveness for a huge number of earthlings, despite any political and economic troubles. Including Mars. Will humans ever be able to live on the Red Planet? Is it possible to establish a more or less stable colony there? many of us ask.
Professionals do not answer quite clearly, according to the principle of “be content with little”. There is no need to talk about the "migration of peoples" to Mars - not in any distant future. But Martian scientific stations like polar and Antarctic ones - yes, it is possible, and, most likely, will take place sooner or later.
The flight of a handful of the elect is not an option
Even today you can hear the theory that the Earth will someday become unusable, and humanity will have to flee to other planets. But who is meant by humanity? How many people can you really hide in spaceships? Dozens, hundreds? What will happen to the billions?
“We on Earth cannot solve seemingly much simpler problems,” Oleg Korablev, deputy director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, reminded the MIR 24 correspondent. - Why do we need to move to Mars? Some big trouble – we don’t need it.”
The scientist identified "three groups of problems that could make it so bad on Earth to start a story with resettlement." It can be world wars with the use of weapons of mass destruction, catastrophic climate change or simply overpopulation of the Earth beyond any limit.
The surface of the Red Planet resembles terrestrial deserts
All these dangers exist, and mankind has not yet succeeded in eliminating them. But still, some prospects for the actions of more or less reasonable statesmen are visible.
Breed and settle - will not work
Maybe Mars will be gradually colonized by small groups of enthusiasts? Suppose they wish to leave the "overpopulated, littered and depraved" old lady-Earth? Equip such a Mayflower ship in a space version, and then populate Mars with generations of your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren - descendants of the strong and brave?
Alas, this is also a utopia. And it's not even that it's too cold - the average temperature is about minus 50, drops from minus 170 to plus 20 (on the Martian equator in the summer at noon). By the way, the pressure on Mars does not reach even one hundredth of the earth's, approximately like in the stratosphere - and this is also not for people.
Although the Red Planet has a residual atmosphere, it cannot be breathed. “On Mars, most likely, there are resources that would allow us to fill its atmosphere and eventually raise the pressure and temperature there,” said Oleg Korablev. But it is not yet clear how to do this. And since Mars is not protected by a magnetic field, the atmosphere will collapse, perhaps faster than it can be created. And people will also suffer from radiation, as in outer space.”
In general, people on Mars will be able to be either in spacesuits or in specially equipped rooms. A whole civilization does not survive like this, and it would be too naive to hope that a person somehow mutates and adapts.
The main thing is not to “fry” while flying
However, what is impossible, so to speak, at the macro level, looks completely different if we go to the “micro” level. After all, the Earth has a North and South Pole. And there - in our days it is Antarctica that is more relevant - small but vigorous teams of scientists live at polar stations. True, they are not engaged in reproduction and colonization there - but in general, as they say, they do not live hard. When there is funding.
These are relatively modest but reasonable tasks, in the opinion of Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Oleg Korablev, that can actually be set and solved. If we manage to solve the most pressing issue - radiation protection.
Let's not forget that the flight is very long. The minimum distance from the Earth in favorable years, when it is exactly between the Sun and Mars, still exceeds 55 million km.
A selection of images transmitted from Mars by the Curiosity spacecraft
Just a month ago, in March, the Exomars spacecraft, a joint project of Roscosmos and the European Space Agency, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It will reach Mars in six months - that is, a total of seven months for the flight. But there are no people on the ExoMars, only equipment. And what will happen to people?
“Theoretically, we can assemble a “transport ship” surrounded by some tanks, fill them with water so that this water protects against radiation, and then use recycled water,” Korablev suggested.
But to launch such a mass ship from the Earth, it will take "inconceivably powerful launch vehicle." As the scientist noted, it is more expedient to assemble the whole ship in parts in orbit. And maybe not even on the earth, but on the moon. Still, the complexity is enormous.
Another option under discussion is to achieve higher speeds and drastically reduce flight times. At the last meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fortov recalled that it was the Martian program that made it possible to seriously consider the creation of nuclear rocket engines - until now, they fly into space only on chemical fuel.
But a nuclear engine is also “easy to say”. “The most efficient of the possible options is a direct-acting engine,” said Oleg Korablev. - But his exhaust is a radioactive contamination. Testing such an engine on Earth is unthinkable. It’s better to have a ship with an onboard nuclear power plant, but it’s even more difficult.”
There is water. Cold
And yet, although there is no solution to the problem yet, it is at least in principle solvable. And the road will be mastered by the walking one. There is no radiation protection on Mars either - the Red Planet has lost its magnetic field. But there it is already possible to build premises, find shelters of a natural type, caves, and supplement them with blocks brought from the Earth.
But water - the most important condition for human life - is on Mars. “There is a lot of concentrated water in the form of ice near the poles,” Korablev said. “But it’s cold there, just like on Earth. In temperate equatorial latitudes, where the best place for the establishment of such a station, water sources from the Earth are not yet visible. But, perhaps, it can be explored.
More than 30 years ago, Viking 1 and Viking 2 landed on the surface of Mars for the first time.
If you're lucky, then the Martian soil, according to scientists' cautious forecast, "may have some kind of fertility." So growing potatoes on Mars, as in the movie "The Martian", is in principle possible if you arrange greenhouses.
To Mars - in prehistoric times
There will be not just a lot of work for such scientists, but no end. To date, scientists on Earth do not even have a sample of Martian soil (unlike the lunar one) - and it is planned to deliver it no earlier than 2030.
“Mars is very interesting because geological activity stopped there 3.5 billion years ago,” Korablev emphasized. - There are fossils of that era, but they were not on Earth a long time ago, everything was reworked by the movement of the plates of the earth's crust, the biosphere. We can better understand what happened to the planets early on.”
Of the five terrestrial planets, Mars is quite unique. It did not go through such a long and gigantic evolution as the Earth and Venus, but it did not completely lose the atmosphere and water and did not remain “naked” like the Moon and Mercury.
“Mars was in an intermediate position - he did not lose everything,” Korablev recalled. - And he has a magnetic field, we know exactly what it was. It is not clear only why it stopped, and whether it stopped altogether. Because of this, the loss of the atmosphere is much stronger. But the one that is, can live a very long time.
If humanity itself will live more or less decently, it will learn these secrets of the universe.
