home

=//__**How to Colonize Mars**__//= //__**by Aidan Vande Stadt**__//

**Essay For My Ideas:**
The survivable temperatures on Earth are -97 degrees F to 140 degrees F. Mars' average is -81 degrees F, which is 130 degrees less than our average of 50 degrees F. This means that we will need to design special suits that are insulated as much as possible, but still flexible and easy to move in. The soil here on Earth is fertile, easy to plant and grow things in. Mars has rocky, uneasy ground which is not the best ground to grow plants in. If it could be grinded down or replaced with more fertile soil, it might be possible to grow food. On Mars, the oxygen level is extremely low at .13%, while here on Earth it is 20%. It will be impossible to survive without lots of air tanks that can be refilled. There is also not a lot of gravity on Mars, which will complicate living styles. .39% of the atmosphere on Earth is CO2, yet on the Red Planet it is all the way up at 95% CO2. This means Mars has more than enough CO2 for plants to inhale and build their structures. Our oxygen level is 20%, but on Mars it is only.13%. Once again, like I said before, air tanks are crutial to surviving on the Red Planet. Oxygen tanks can be strapped to our backs like scuba tanks, however this limits the ability to move around as well because we will be weighed down more. Here on Earth, the percentage of water on our planet is 70%. On Mars, it is somewhere between 40-50%. The water sources on Mars ore from frozen lakes, that can be melted down to get a source of water. Since there is a high percentage on Mars, finding water should not be that much of a problem, it will just require the use of a heater to melt the ice. Nitrogen here is at the high of 78%, but it is scarce on Mars, barely reaching 2%. If we can get a source of soil, nitrogen can be used as fertilizers to grow food. Food here on Earth consists of meats, grains, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Currently, there no known sources of food on Mars. If greenhouses are brought along on the journey, we can grow our own food to survive on the trip to Mars, and while we are there. Waste is never easy to deal with, but if we can drill a hole underground and find a temperary storage area for our waste, it will work for the meantime. Housing and living styles will be complicated due to the fact of little gravity. Though there actually is more than there is on the moon, it still makes it difficult. The houses will be made out of strong fiberglass material that will frotect from damage, and will be insulated with a soft foam edging on the inside to protect against the cold temperatures.

The Containment of the Ships:
The **FIRST SHIP** will haul the building materials for colonization, which will consist of the following:
 * Fiberglass to build the houses/buildings out of
 * Soft foam for house insulation
 * Metal pipes to route underground to dispose of waste
 * A toilet to help dispose of waste
 * Lighting, and heating to see and to keep warm
 * Warm beds to keep warm from temperatures
 * Lightweight titanium buggy for transportation that is solar powered

The **SECOND SHIP** will be used to bring 2000 pounds of critical items we need to survive. This includes:
 * 2, 6x4 ft. greenhouses that will provide vegetables for food, and will also release oxygen
 * 4 Insulated, flexible, and easy to move in space suits
 * 8, refillable oxygen tanks to survive and not die
 * Heater/leaf blower? to melt the frozen lakes and get water
 * Shovels to dig piplines and structures

I will bring with me 3 other people. An environmentalist expert, a doctor, and an astronaut. The astronaut and I will fly the ships, and be the main workers/ explorers. The doctor will be there to help with medical emergencies. The environmentalist expert will guide us through the journey on the Red Planet by showing us tips and tricks on how to survive.
 * Who I Will Bring: **

This is what my thought of the buildings would look like: []
 * Visual of the Colony: **

This my thought of the terrain on Mars: []

The buggy we will have will look similar to a modern day go-kart: []