Terraforming: why the Moon is a better target than Mars
Terraforming: why the Moon is a better target than Mars
The first world that humans should inhabit beyond the Earth is the Moon, not Mars. Here's how to terraform our lunar neighbor.
The first world that humans should inhabit beyond the Earth is the Moon, not Mars. Here's how to terraform our lunar neighbor.
Terraforming the moon isn't possible. There is no atmosphere. The article is using the term terraforming wrong. It specifically means changing an entire planet. Building a base with a greenhouse isn't terraforming.
Both places are incredibly hostile to humans and will require a massive amount of resources to change that.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Saying one is better than the other and implying that terraforming either of them will be anything but a centuries long process is click-bate nonsense.
Easier to live on? Definitely. Easier to terraform? No way. The moon is too small to hold onto an atmosphere, so humans would forever be bubble bound on the moon. Mars has tons of problems, but terraforming is possible at least.
not to mention the fact that their bodies would get totally messed up. imagine a kid raised on the moon from birth - their bones would be super weak and there is no way they could come to earth.
Do we even know what would happen to your spine if you grew up there?
Could also be an issue on Mars. The TV series The Expanse is pretty realistic scifi in general, and Martians need to be top athletic soldiers to be able to endure Earth's gravity in it
I always just assumed it'd be easier because it's closer...
Yes, the moon is closer. On average it is 1,000 times closer than mars but you only need about 2.3X the rocket power (DeltaV: Moon: 2,635m/s vs Mars: 6,268m/s ) to get there compared to the moon.
But they are both far enough away that is doesn't really matter.
A colony in either place cannot rely on outside assistance to come and help them.
But they are both far enough away that is doesn't really matter.
The difference is huge. The moon is practically right next door to us (384 megameters). Mars closest point to Earth is 54000 megameters.
It's like having a friend living 384 meters down the road vs living 54-150 kilometers away.
Moon regolith is pretty nasty stuff. It's chemically reduced due to the lack of O2 to react with, and becomes corrosive when exposed to moisture. The absence of atmosphere, means that sharp edges of the dust particles aren't rounded off by erosion, making the dust/soil particularly abrasive. It's also positively charged, so sticks to everything.
None of that is insurmountable, but it does stack up mitigation costs.
