Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

To Science Buddies
I am doing a research project on a colony on Mars. I would be very grateful if you (with your expert opinion) could answer these questions.

- What are some of the problems with Mars colonisation?

- Why do you think people want to colonise Mars?

- What would a day in the life of a Mars colonist look like?

- What is Mars dust and is it harmful?

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.

Daniel Jones (Trinity Grammar Junior School)

Dear Daniel,

That sounds like an interesting research project, and you have some great questions. Rather than answering them for you, I encourage you to check out the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website. There is a ton of information available on their website about Mars exploration and much more. The one most relevant to your project is NASA's Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/file ... 08_508.pdf). There is also a set of webpages dedicated to exploring the Moon and how we may be able to use that information to then go to Mars (https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars/overview). There's also a book chapter on the history of NASA mission planning from 1950-2000 for sending humans to Mars (https://history.nasa.gov/monograph21/Ch ... 03_low.pdf).

In addition to our government agencies, privately held companies are also interested in human spaceflight to Mars. SpaceX is probably the best known for this. They also have a website with some information about why they think Mars exploration is possible (https://www.spacex.com/human-spaceflight/mars/).

As you read through these resources, think about what is required to sustain human life on Earth. Compare these needs to what is available on Mars and write down what the differences are. You should be able to conclude what basic needs for human life are or are not available on Mars. From there, you can write a discussion of what technology needs to be developed to make Mars colonization possible, what features of everyday life on Earth may be difficult to replicate on Mars, and what you think living on Mars might be like.

And if you are looking for more inspiration, science fiction writers have been imagining what travel to and life on Mars would be like for more than 100 years! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_in_fiction

Good luck!
Dr. Payne