In today’s unsettled world, science fiction offers relief from the daily drama in our lives. It also inspires scientific innovation by offering fresh perspectives regarding complex questions. Travel to Mars has long been a focus for science fiction stories and scientists alike. Just when travelling to Mars is within our reach, is it possible to make the red planet sustainable for human life?
I wrote previously about an enterprising UK start-up, which seeks to make travel to Mars a reality. In considering the thought of getting there in our lifetime, something occurred to me. The carrying capacity of our most viable space born innovations has its limitations. We cannot bring building materials, in large quantities, to Mars like we do to development sites on earth. So, how can we sustain ourselves there?
Travel To Mars – Only The Beginning
Getting to the red planet is just the beginning. The problem is about the size and weight of building materials transported from Earth to Mars. It’s just not possible to bring materials, in large quantities, to Mars in this early stage of space exploration. The solution for a good deal of scientific research centers lies in using existing materials to provide the basic building blocks for a sustainable presence there.
From Terror to Valor: Echoes and Shadows, available at your favorite digital bookstoreÂ
A promising collaboration has caught my eye between Texas A&M University and the University of Nebraska in the United States. Their bio-engineering research is exploring the development of a synthetic lichen (living micro-organism) to bond with Mars’s dust, sand and rock. This mix of local materials and a lichen binder promises to withstand harsh conditions as a base compound for construction.
Mars As A Home
The lichen is a dual strain system that promises to deliver as the bonder in this compound. Thinking about it, the concept of 3D printing your home, block by block, is already in existence on Earth. This would mean we would only grow, pair and manufacture the lichen system for transport to Mars. When there, 3D printers can use the compound of local dust, rock and sand, bound by the lichen system to manufacture actual materials.
Settlements, initially under a habitat dome for atmosphere, can create a sustainable environment. We could build and fit out homes, shops, and more by creating mass manufactured parts. Physical infrastructure can follow as we explore Mars’s hidden secrets. What mineral deposits are there is unknown for the most part. We know that water exists on Mars, but will it be enough?
To The Stars
As we look towards the stars, our imagination stretches the possibilities of how we can get there. The vastness of space, the desolation apparent on Mars, the dangers of daring to explore; they all challenge us. Nothing has truly intended our existence to be confined to Earth, our very own blue dot among the stars.
We are born to learn, to explore, to make mistakes and to recover from them. So, with humility and courage, we can reconcile our past to our present, and see a future that will remember how we set out to the stars.
About the Author
As I move onto my next authoring project, I will post less frequently on the real-world issues linked to my novel, From Terror to Valor: Echoes and Shadows. My next project, Hindsight Station, will initially be a progression science fiction, web-novel delivered via Patreon and eventually another web serial platform.
John is a versatile author known for his gripping fiction narratives in the thriller, action, and science fiction genres. With a background as a journalist since 2016, and expertise in cloud technologies as an engineer; John brings a unique blend of storytelling prowess and technical acumen to his work.
Mars looks a fascinating place. Shame or maybe a good thing looking at all the damage humans have done to earth that we wont get to go.
I’ve always found the science (and the fiction) around space travel or living on Mars, etc to be really fascinating!
Me too, Molly… well said.