Living on Mars

Elon Musk’s “Occupy Mars” program has been a cornerstone mission for SpaceX, intending to establish a human colony on Mars over the next 25 years. The project began as an attempt to colonize Mars with manned spaceships and above-ground shelters, but has evolved over time.

The current emphasis is on constructing a reusable transportation system capable of recharging in orbit, while also utilizing Mars’ natural resources such as water and CO2 for refueling on the surface. However, despite high hopes about the mission, it is necessary to evaluate the viability of colonization on Mars.

While the concept captures interest, it is critical to acknowledge the practical restrictions that make colonization a considerable issue. As a high school student, I researched the best ways to populate Mars, but was unable to discover any practical options. For starters, Mars poses significant obstacles in sustaining life, particularly due to the lack of accessible water and severe radiation. Furthermore, the composition of Martian soil includes minerals that present additional obstacles to agricultural efforts required for long-term survival.

Mars was created about 4.5 billion years ago, along with the creation of the other planets in our solar system, taking a couple of million years to form its crust, mantle, and core, as well as its magnetic field. Due to certain surface features on Mars, such as valleys and other mineralogical assemblies, we can assume that Pre-Noachian Mars had liquid water. As volcanoes on Mars started to form and the core started to cool, Mars lost its magnetic field, causing the surface water to disappear from the surface due to solar winds. Frozen water now sits underground in the Northern plains of the planet, proven to us by Space’X’s 2008 Phoenix Rover.

The best place to live on Mars would be underground. When volcanoes such as Olympus Mons and Elysium erupted, lava would flow beneath the ground and create tubes, sometimes emerging and creating caves where lava would escape. Living underground would prevent the harm of radiation, as Mars does not have an Ozone layer as Earth does. Living in these tubes would prevent radiation, but also help scientists look further into the volcanic history of Mars.

The best place to look for these openings would be near the underground ocean, as colonizing near water is imperative for the health of human beings. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any caves that would provide a place to live. Due to the high volume of explosions during its active period, Olympus mons (Tharsis territory) is covered with lava caves. Colonizing on the western part of the planet, would not be an option, as the journey to find water would be too far, although multiple lava caves prove to be viable.

The next pressing issue with Mars is the radiation. The biggest problem on Mars would be the solar wind, which emits little sun (iron) particles, which have the same effect as a bullet on the skin. Earth’s magnetic field is constantly deflecting these particles, but without a magnetic field on Mars, they would be fatal. According to the Mars Odyssey Probe, the radiation on Mars is 2.5 times higher than what astronauts experience on the Space station.

Without the help of lava tubes, continuously living above ground will cause major birth defects, and prove to be fatal. Some people might be wondering why we can’t just live above ground in “radiation proof” shetlers, and the answer is, there is no such thing. Since the radiation on Mars is twice as high as it is on the space station, the effects of radiation would not only prove fatal to humans, but would also create extreme technological difficulties, as the radiation would rust and bite away at the mechanics.

In order for planets to sustain life, they need (about) 3 things: Potassium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus, all of which basalt has. The main problem with sustaining plant life on Mars is the perchlorates. At the Phoenix landing site in the Northern polar region, it detected a level of about 0.5% Calcium Perchlorate(CaCIO4)2, proving to not only be extremely toxic to plants but to humans as well. These compounds will present extreme challenges for sustaining plant life, human life, as well as technological health.

Another compound found in Martian soil is Chromium, which is the 3rd hardest element behind diamonds but is also used to create stainless steel.

In conclusion, while the idea of sustaining long-term colonization on Mars appears to be unattainable, it still remains an extremely valuable asset. Mars provides an abundance of data on planetary formation, mineralogical composition, as well as other scientific topics. Although colonization remains unfeasible, the exploration and study of planetary compositions continue to captivate the imaginations of millions of people (including me!)

“Mars & Beyond.” SpaceX, www.spacex.com/humanspaceflight/mars/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2024.

“Calcium Perchlorate.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Calcium-perchlorate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2024.

Kitchen, Karsen E. Edited by Howard D. Lineberger, May 2021, Colonization on Mars .