Living on Mars, the Red Planet, presents unique challenges that need an unparalleled level of ingenuity and resourcefulness. Using information from scientists and engineers at the forefront of the field as well as inspiration from the 2015 film The Martian, this handbook explores the basic survival skills needed for life on Mars.
Making Water: The Life-Giver
Water is necessary to ensure human survival on Mars, which is why its manufacture is crucial. Mars lacks naturally occurring supplies of liquid water due to its thin atmosphere and bitterly frigid temperatures. The solution is to get water out of the Martian atmosphere using inventive methods.
One way is to collect water from the Martian soil, which contains trace amounts of ice. This can be achieved by methods such as heating the soil to release the water vapor, which then condenses into liquid form. Another method for electrolyzing water makes use of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) from the Martian atmosphere. This process generates oxygen, which is needed for breathing, in addition to water.
2. Food Production: Fostering Life on an Extraterrestrial World
Producing food is another vital aspect of life on Mars. Due to limited arable land and unfavorable environmental factors, growing food demands innovative solutions. Mars’s environment is challenging due to its extreme cold, intense radiation, and lack of nutrition.
One workable method is to use hydroponic or aeroponic systems, which grow plants in nutrient-rich liquids or mist instead of soil. Climate-controlled environments, like as greenhouses with adjustable humidity, lighting, and temperature, are suitable for housing these devices. With the use of dirt, water, and human excrement, the main character in The Martian successfully cultivates potatoes on Martian soil, demonstrating that food can be cultivated in the right conditions.
