Space colonization (also called space settlement or extraterrestrial colonization) is the hypothetical permanent habitation and exploitation of natural resources from outside planet Earth . ... Currently, the building of a space colony would present a set of huge technological and economic challenges.
What is the purpose of space colony?
Space colonies can supply clean energy necessary for human survival in the 21st century . In addition, they can provide new homelands and an expanded ecological niche for our species. For many people, the term “space colony” brings to mind visions of domed cities on the moon or the surface of a hostile planet.
What does colony mean in space?
Space colonization (also called space settlement or extraterrestrial colonization) is the hypothetical permanent habitation and exploitation of natural resources from outside planet Earth . ... Currently, the building of a space colony would present a set of huge technological and economic challenges.
How does a space colony work?
A space settlement is a home in orbit. Rather than live on the outside of a planet, settlers will live inside of large spacecraft. ... Settlements close to Earth and near the equator are protected from most space radiation by the Earth itself and the Earth’s magnetic field.
Why we shouldn’t colonize space?
Another potential issue raised by those opposed to space colonization is that it could lead to a space-based arms race , sowing the seeds for devastating conflict back home on Earth. If individual nations or companies establish colonies, this could lead to conflict or even war, as different groups try to stake claims.
What does a space colony need?
Air : Your space colony will need air. The modules will have to be enclosed or the entire living area must be inside a protective dome. Oxygen can be produced mechanically (from water or certain minerals) or by plants in a greenhouse.
How do you build a space settlement?
You design a space settlement: a nice place to live in, orbiting in space some distance from the earth. Your design should include a drawing, 3D model and any other means to help visualize your settlement, and a written description of your colony.
Can humans live on Mars?
Human survival on Mars would require living in artificial Mars habitats with complex life-support systems. One key aspect of this would be water processing systems. Being made mainly of water, a human being would die in a matter of days without it.
Will space travel ever be possible?
If humanity ever wants to travel easily between stars, people will need to go faster than light. But so far, faster-than-light travel is possible only in science fiction . In Issac Asimov’s Foundation series, humanity can travel from planet to planet, star to star or across the universe using jump drives.
Can we colonize the moon?
The Moon, according to NASA scientists, is a great jumping off point for deep space exploration. A colony on the Moon could therefore offer a functional peg for explorations on Mars, which the space agency hopes to be able to do by 2030. The only thing hindering them is NASA’s limited budget to implement it.
What planets can we colonize?
Bodies in the inner Solar System have been considered for terraforming and space colonization. The main candidates for colonization in the inner Solar System are Mars and Venus . Other possible candidates for colonization include the Moon and even Mercury.
How long would it take to get to Mars?
The trip to Mars will take about seven months and about 300 million miles (480 million kilometers). During that journey, engineers have several opportunities to adjust the spacecraft’s flight path, to make sure its speed and direction are best for arrival at Jezero Crater on Mars.
Why we shouldn’t move to Mars?
The consequence of this lack of protection is a longer exposure to these rays which are deadly to the human body. Astronauts living on Mars would be subject to 50 times more radiation than humans living on Earth. This amount of radiation can create dangerous cancers.
Does Mars have oxygen?
Mars’ atmosphere is dominated by carbon dioxide (CO2) at a concentration of 96%. Oxygen is only 0.13% , compared with 21% in Earth’s atmosphere. ... The waste product is carbon monoxide, which is vented to the Martian atmosphere.
Why can’t humans live on Pluto?
As such, there is simply no way life could survive on the surface of Pluto. Between the extreme cold, low atmospheric pressure, and constant changes in the atmosphere, no known organism could survive.
Can we breathe on Mars?
The atmosphere on Mars is mostly made of carbon dioxide . It is also 100 times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere, so even if it did have a similar composition to the air here, humans would be unable to breathe it to survive.
