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File: MarsTransition1_ib4f.png - (1.84mb, 1303x1295, MarsTransition1.PNG) Thumbnail displayed, click image for full size.
Terraforming and living in space. Anonymous 15/7/2009(Wed)04:24:15 No.120665  
Based on experiences with Earth, the environment of a planet can be altered deliberately: however the feasibility of creating an unconstrained planetary biosphere that mimics Earth on another planet has yet to be verified. Mars is considered by many to be the most likely candidate for terraformation. Much study has been done concerning the possibility of heating the planet and altering its atmosphere, and NASA has even hosted debates on the subject. Several potential methods of altering the climate of Mars may fall within humanity's technological capabilities, but at present the economic resources required to do so are far beyond that which any government or society is willing to allocate to the purpose. The long timescales and practicality of terraforming are the subject of debate.
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Anonymous 15/7/2009(Wed)04:34:19 No.120673
File: MarsTransition2_ib4f.png - (1.58mb, 1303x1283, MarsTransition2.PNG)
In the not-too distant future, population growth and demand for resources may create pressure for humans to colonize new habitats such as the surface of the Earth's oceans, the sea floor, near-Earth orbital space, the moon and nearby planets, as well as mine the solar system for energy and materials. Through terraforming, humans could make Mars habitable long before this 'deadline'.
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Anonymous 15/7/2009(Wed)04:36:40 No.120678
File: MarsTransition3_ib4f.png - (2.1mb, 1303x1283, MarsTransition3.PNG)
Mars already consists of many soil minerals that could theoretically be used for terraforming. Additionally, recent research has revealed large amounts of ice permafrost just below the Martian surface down to latitude 60, as well as on the surface at the poles, where it is mixed with dry ice, frozen CO2. It has also been hypothesized that there are vast amounts of ice in the deeper crust. As frozen carbon dioxide (CO2) at the poles sublimes back into the atmosphere during the Martian summer, a small amount of water residue is left behind, which fast winds then sweep off the poles at speeds approaching 250 mph (400 km/h). This seasonal ocurrence transports large amounts of dust and water vapor into the atmosphere, giving rise to Earth-like cirrus clouds.

Oxygen is only present in the atmosphere in trace amounts, but is present in large amounts in metal-oxides on the Martian surface. Some oxygen is also present in the soil in the form of per-nitrates. An analysis of soil samples taken by the Phoenix lander indicated the presence of perchlorate, which has been used to liberate oxygen in chemical oxygen generators. Additionally, Electrolysis could be employed to separate water on the planet into oxygen and hydrogen if sufficient electricity were available.
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Anonymous 15/7/2009(Wed)04:38:14 No.120680
File: MarsTransition4_ib4f.png - (2.57mb, 1303x1283, MarsTransition4.PNG)
It has been suggested that Mars once had an environment relatively similar to that of Earth during an earlier stage in its development. This similarity is indicated by the thickness of the Martian atmosphere, as well as the evident presence of liquid water on the planet's surface in the past. The atmosphere has thinned over millions of years as gases have escaped into space, although it has also partially condensed into solid form. While water once appears to have existed on the Martian surface, it now only appears to exist at the poles and just below the planetary surface as permafrost. The exact mechanisms which led to the current atmospheric conditions on Mars are not fully known, although several hypotheses have been proposed. One hypothesis is that the gravity of Mars today indicates that lighter gases in the upper atmosphere could have contributed to the thinning of the atmosphere, with the excess atoms escaping into space. The evident lack of plate tectonics on Mars is another plausible contributing factor, since a lack of tectonic activity would in theory slow the recycling of gases from being locked in sediments back into the atmosphere. The lack of a magnetic field and geologic activity may both be a result of Mars' smaller size, which allows its interior to cool more quickly than Earth's, though the details of such a process are still not well known. However, none of these processes are thought to have a significant impact over the typical lifespan of most animal species, or even on the time-scale of human civilization, and the slow loss of atmosphere might even be counteracted by ongoing low-level artificial maintenance.
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My test this forum number 6. trfjjesdgktiol. oralelmiple 03/2/2010(Wed)04:51:05 No.481557
My test this forum number 5. trfrtfzfefdkiol

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