Human settlement of Mars isn’t as far off as you might think

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However, it's been viewed by ones who are cynical as either utter rubbish or just a load of nonsense.

on the surface.

Yet in this day and age of space tourism, the red planet has become a dream destination for wealthy free thinkers and tech visionaries. As is often the case with science communication, there's a gulf between how close we are to this ultimate goal and where the general public thinks we are.

However, I reckon there's a case to be made for setting up home on Mars and it's not as far-off a prospect as some might think. There are actually a few good reasons to be positive about humanity's future on the red planet.

Mates, some ripping new engine designs reckon we're lookin' at gettin' to Mars in just a couple of months. However, if we're talkin' tech we've already goin', it'll still take six months to get to Mars and six months to get back.

For decades, we've had ''expeditions as long as months on the International Space Station (ISS) and onboard the Russian space lab Mir. We've been able to get there safely and have already demonstrated that we can bring robots down to the surface with some reliability. There's no reason why humans can't do the same safely.

In order to "live off the land", making it on your own and getting by on yer own two feet in a way, colonising Mars would be beneficial in many ways, The red planet has loads of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen which can be separated and isolated, using processes we've already worked out down here on Earth. Mars is a good spot, with many useful qualities that the moon can't match. And we've got the tech to settle Mars by making the most of its resources.

Chemicals produced as a result of the process – carbon monoxide, nitrogen and argon – can be released through an exhaust system.

When scaled up, similar machines will be able to separate oxygen from hydrogen to produce breathable air, rocket fuel and water. This makes it easier to travel to the red planet and live on the surface because it's not necessary to bring these commodities from Earth – they can be made once on Mars. Making fuel on the surface would also make any future abode less reliant on electric or solar-powered vehicles.

Smart ideas for utilising robots to 3D print habitats, landing strips and all the essentials for human life on Mars. Since robots can be made on Mars, everything could be produced before humans arrive. 3D printed homes have already been shown on Earth.

regularly.

She's not on her own, with new initiatives cropping up each year in caves, deserts and other harsh environments, where year-long studies can examine the body and mental toll on people living in these remote places.

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Several unmanned missions from Earth could deliver essential gear to Mars. This could include a vessel for crew members to use when returning to Earth. As a result, everything could be in place for the initial crew when they arrive.

On the spacecraft, building a protective enclosure or a shelter inside the vehicle could safeguard astronauts from high-energy particles. Similar concepts could be applied to 3D printed habitats on the Martian surface. Alternatively, colonists could reside underground or within protective Martian caves.

On Mars, there's a 24-minute lag in communication with Earth. This means that Martians will need to be able to survive on their own and not rely too much on Earth from the start. While this presents some challenges, they're not impossible to overcome.

, which blasts off on the most powerful rocket ever built, could be a real game-changer. Starship is currently undergoing testing at SpaceX’s facility in southern Texas. It's fair dinkum, you can't overstate what a reliable Starship, that's cleared to carry humans, could do for exploring the moon and Mars.

Fair dinkum, a more efficient space programme for checking out the moon and Mars is years away, thanks to lower costs, heavier payloads and a larger crew. Even if it's not here yet, we've got all the gear we need to travel to Mars already or well on the way to being developed. That's a solid lineup of astronauts champing at the bit to go.

Associate Lecturer and PhD Candidate in the Philosophy of Science.

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