A new paper in Nature Astronomy has brought the idea of terraforming Mars back into the spotlight. Written by researchers from Pioneer Research Labs and the University of Chicago, the paper explores whether turning Mars into a planet that can support human life is scientifically possible—and what it would actually take to do it.
“Believe it or not, no one has really addressed whether it’s feasible to terraform Mars since 1991,” said Nina Lanza, a planetary scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and co-author of the study. “Yet since then, we’ve made great strides in Mars science, geoengineering, launch capabilities and bioscience, which give us a chance to take a fresh look at terraforming research and ask ourselves what’s actually possible.”
Although the idea of making Mars more like Earth has been around for a long time, it turns out there hasn’t been much detailed scientific work on it. But now, thanks to progress in climate science, bioscience, and space technologies, researchers think it’s time for a fresh, serious look.
The basic idea would be to warm up the Martian atmosphere first. That could allow engineered microbes to start producing oxygen through photosynthesis. Slowly, this oxygen would build up, eventually supporting the presence of liquid water and paving the way for more complex life. But the paper points out that before jumping into big plans, we need to think seriously about what it would cost, what might go wrong, and whether it’s the right thing to do. As the authors write, “Before we can assess whether warming Mars is worthwhile, relative to the alternative of leaving Mars as a pristine wilderness, we must confront the practical requirements, cost, and possible risks.”
The paper takes a close look at what resources Mars actually has—things like water ice, carbon dioxide, and the makeup of its soil. It also discusses new ideas that could help raise the planet’s global temperature by several tens of degrees within a few decades. Some of these approaches involve boosting solar heating or releasing greenhouse gases to trap more heat in the atmosphere.
The researchers say future studies should focus on learning more about the physical, chemical, and biological limits of these ideas. Doing so would not only guide future Mars missions—it could also help science here on Earth. Tools like soil-repair technology, drought-resistant crops, and better ways to model ecosystems could benefit our own planet, too.
“Mars terraforming research offers a vital testbed for planetary science, potentially validating theories or exposing knowledge gaps,” the authors write. “Continued research promises significant scientific progress, regardless of whether full-scale terraforming occurs.”
And in the long run, they add, “We don’t even know what’s physically or biologically possible. … If people can learn how to terraform a world such as Mars, this may be the first step to destinations beyond.”
Source: Pioneer Labs, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nature| Image via Depositphotos
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