While the idea of living on Mars may seem like the plot of the latest sci-fi hit, companies like NASA and SpaceX are seriously considering it as a possibility.
There are currently several challenges on our way, such as building a self-sufficient spacecraft that can safely carry the crew and find a way to protect astronauts from dangerous solar and cosmic radiation, not to mention allowing them. living in microgravity on a planet without an atmosphere. .
This week, Lord Martin Rees, one of the country’s leading astronomers, said the obvious solution to some of these problems is to turn future explorers into part-cyborgs.
Lord Rees told the Hay Festival: “These fearless explorers of Mars will be out of the clutches of regulators and will have every incentive to change because they are very ill-adapted to Mars.
‘They will use all these techniques to adapt. In one or two generations they could become a very different species.
“We don’t know what the mix will be of flesh and blood and electronics, but if they become electronic, of course, they could be almost immortal.
“If that were the case, they would be able to make a very long interstellar journey, hibernating for millennia.”
So will future Martians really have to become cyborgs? Here, MailOnline looks at the challenges facing human settlers hoping to settle on the Red Planet and reveals how becoming a cyborg could solve some of them.
While the idea of living on Mars may seem like the plot of the latest sci-fi hit, companies like NASA and SpaceX are seriously considering it as a possibility. In the photo: a conceptual image of what life on Mars might be like
The Cyborg system prevents you from needing to drink water
The nasal inserts convert the moisture in the air we breathe into water, while the inserts at the ends of the kidney and digestive systems prevent water from escaping through these pathways.
In 2013, Japanese firm Takram unveiled ambitious plans for artificial implantable organs that could eliminate hydration.
The system, called the Hydrolemic System, is to collect more moisture from the air and also do more to retain the water we have.
The nasal inserts convert the moisture in the air we breathe into water, while the inserts at the ends of the kidney and digestive systems prevent water from escaping through these pathways.
Meanwhile, a collar around our neck helps prevent perspiration by converting our body heat into electricity, so it doesn’t make us sweat.
The company claims that this system would only require drinking 0.1 cups of water a day.
Survive in microgravity
One of the biggest challenges for human settlers will be to stay fit and healthy on Mars.
Studies have shown that the transition from one gravity field to another can affect spatial orientation, eye-eye coordination, balance, and locomotion.
Astronauts also experience changes in bones and muscles in space.
“In addition, body fluids move upward in the head in microgravity, which can put pressure on the eyes and cause vision problems,” NASA added.
“If preventive measures or countermeasures are not applied, teams may experience an increased risk of developing kidney stones due to dehydration and increased calcium excretion from their bones.”
NASA is looking for ways to keep astronauts healthy during missions to Mars, including artificial gravity devices and vibration platforms to help regenerate bones and muscles.
Becoming a cyborg could be beneficial in helping to counteract the effects of microgravity on the human body.
For example, humans could be equipped with iron lungs or steel plates under the skin to protect our tender organs and make us more resistant to the effects of microgravity.
Adaptation to the Martian climate
Because Mars is farther from the sun, the temperatures there are much colder than on Earth.
On the red planet, temperatures can drop to -200 ° F (-128 ° C). In comparison, the lowest temperature on Earth is -128.6 ° F (-88 ° C).
Fortunately, NASA’s next-generation space suits, introduced in 2019, are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and should help keep settlers warm.
“The suit is built to withstand extreme temperatures of -250 ° F [-156°C] in the shade and up to 250 ° F [121°C] in the sun, “NASA said.
Cyborgs could have similar technology implanted in their bodies, or in the form of an exoskeleton, although NASA’s space suits will offer a good alternative for those hoping to stay fully human!
This week, Lord Martin Rees, one of the country’s leading astronomers, said the obvious solution to many of the problems humans hope to set at sea is to turn future explorers into a cyborg.
Fortunately, NASA’s next-generation space suits, introduced in 2019, are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and should help keep settlers warm.
NASA plans to combine a Martian house and a vehicle in a single rover, with breathable air (print of the artist in the photo)
How cold is Mars?
Because Mars is farther from the sun, the temperatures there are much colder than on Earth.
On the red planet, temperatures can drop to -200 ° F (-128 ° C). In comparison, the lowest temperature on Earth is -128.6 ° F (-88 ° C).
Fortunately, NASA’s next-generation space suits, introduced in 2019, are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and should help keep settlers warm.
“The suit is built to withstand extreme temperatures of -250 ° F [-156°C] in the shade and up to 250 ° F [121°C] in the sun, “NASA said.
Breathing on Mars
Mars’ atmosphere is extremely fine and is dominated by carbon dioxide.
“For people on Earth, this is a poisonous gas at high concentrations,” said Phylindia Gant and Dr. Amy Williams, geology experts at the University of Florida, in an article on The Conversation.
“Fortunately, it represents much less than one percent of our atmosphere. But on Mars, carbon dioxide is 96 percent of the air!”
As a result, if a human being tried to breathe on Mars without any protection, he would drown immediately.
Fortunately, NASA’s space suits have a portable life support system equipped to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“The portable life support system is the family backpack that astronauts carry on space walks that houses the power and breathable air of the suit and removes exhaled carbon dioxide and other toxic gases, odors and moisture from the suit,” he said. explain NASA.
“It also helps to regulate the temperature and monitors the overall performance of the suit, issuing warnings if resources fall low or if there is a system failure.
“The miniaturization of electronic and plumbing systems has made it possible to build duplicates for much of the system, making some failures less worrisome.”
Just like surviving cold temperatures, being a cyborg could make breathing easier on Mars without help.
For example, cyborgs could somehow have a permanent breathing apparatus built into their body that filters CO2 and provides oxygen to the body.
Future astronauts could survive on the surface of Mars thanks to solar power generators, after scientists discovered that they are more energy efficient than nuclear power.
Traveling the Martian surface
When it comes to traveling the Martian surface, NASA plans to combine a Martian house and vehicle in a single rover, with breathable air.
“Like an RV, the rover will have everything the astronauts need to live and work for weeks,” NASA said.
“They can drive in comfortable clothes, tens of kilometers from the spacecraft that will launch them back into space for the trip back to Earth.
“When they come across interesting places, astronauts can put on their high-tech space suits to get out of the rover and collect samples and perform scientific experiments.”
Cyborgs could have bionic prostheses or portable exoskeletons to help them traverse the Martian surface, though they probably wouldn’t be as efficient as NASA rovers.
Eating and drinking on Mars
Water will be crucial for settlers on Mars and will be used for everything from agriculture to fuel production.
Liquid water is not readily available on Mars, although several studies suggest that there is subsurface ice in several places, including the plains of Arcadia Planitia and the glacier-filled valleys of Deuteronilus Mensae.
‘You wouldn’t need a backhoe to dig up this ice. You could use a shovel, “said Sylvain Piqueux of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“We continue to collect data on the ice on Mars, focusing on the best places to land astronauts.”
NASA has already launched several experiments studying the possibility of growing plants on Mars and says that agriculture on the red planet is “very possible.” Pictured: The Martian, the 2015 Matt Damon blockbuster
Why do astronauts have to exercise in space?
Bone and muscle loss are very real challenges that astronauts face while in a weightless environment like space.
According to NASA, astronauts have to exercise about 2.5 hours a day when they are in space, to mitigate the effects of zero gravity on their bones and muscles.
Because astronauts face unique orbiting challenges, their exercise routines seem a little different from what we might have here on Earth.
That’s why NASA developed specialized machines and equipment for astronauts to use in their daily training.
Source: NASA
While NASA is optimistic that Mars could have water, a more difficult prospect is food.
“We can store enough food for the people of the International Space Station or even to travel to the moon and back,” said Professor Michael Dixon, director of the Center for Controlled Systems Research at the University of Guelph. , in an article for The Conversation.
“But if we are to travel to Mars and support long-term exploration missions, we need bioregenerative and self-sustaining food production systems. Or, in simpler terms, space farms.”
NASA …