After MOXIE successfully completed its mission of producing oxygen on Mars, NASA is moving on to the next phase, gearing up for the plan to send the first astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.
A beacon of hope
When the Perseverance rover touched down on Mars in February 2021, it was not alone. Along with the Ingenuity helicopter, this rover also carried a scientific toolkit designed to search for ancient signs of life.
Embedded in the framework of the rover, affectionately known as Percy, was MOXIE – a device that utilizes resources to generate oxygen on the spot on Mars. This device successfully generated oxygen for over two years from Mars’ carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, surpassing NASA’s expectations. It proved that oxygen for life support systems and rocket fuel can be produced on Mars rather than transported from Earth, making it another tool to aid human exploration of Mars. However, astronauts will require further logistical support before this method can be applied.
After the outstanding completion of MOXIE’s mission to create oxygen on Mars, NASA spent a year in a simulated Martian environment in Texas (USA). They are preparing for the plan to send the first astronauts to Mars in the 2030s. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency (ESA) is gearing up for its first journey from Earth to Mars, set to occur by the end of this decade.
Nevertheless, before settling on Mars, humans also need to understand the terrain and weather of the Red Planet. Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) are making life on Mars a little closer with their Mars Atlas tool. This map of Mars was created by NYUAD researchers using color photos of the entire planet taken by the Hope probe.
Dimitra Atri, the head of the Mars Research Group, noted that after combining over 3,000 high-resolution images collected by the Hope probe of the United Arab Emirates, which has been orbiting Mars since 2021, the team created “a stunning color mosaic of the entire Red Planet.”
The Martian atmosphere is over 95% CO2, and the average temperature is minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C). This information can help researchers determine the safest time and place to land.
Mars Atlas can be used to identify weather patterns, resources, and safe landing sites for future explorers. According to Dimitra Atri, “It might sound far-fetched, but perhaps in the future, human habitation on Mars will be quite common.”
Professor Serkan Saydam, Deputy Director of the Australian Center for Space Engineering Research and a professor at the University of New South Wales, suggests that terraforming Mars might be feasible within a few decades. “I believe that by 2050, we will have a human colony on Mars,” he stated.
Professor Saydam believes that the first and most critical aspect of establishing a Mars colony is water. Water can be extracted from ice and hydrated minerals, and it will drive agriculture on Mars. Meanwhile, hydrogen from ice and minerals can be used as a rocket propellant.
However, some scientists have a less optimistic view. Some astrobiologists who have worked with NASA astronauts have stated that discussions about building a human habitat on Mars seem “a little far-fetched.” Though Mars is the most practical option for settling outside of Earth, the conditions on Mars are not conducive to human survival.
With over 95% of the Martian atmosphere composed of CO2 and an average temperature of minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C), the idea of a more suitable “home” on exoplanets, planets outside our solar system, seems more likely. Yet, these potentially habitable areas are much farther from Earth.
Meanwhile, Frederic Marin, an astrophysicist at the Strasbourg Observatory, suggests that current technology might allow humanity to reach a nearby exoplanet within a few centuries. “I think that by 2050, we’ll have a human colony on Mars,” he said.
According to Professor Saydam, it is essential to consider the challenges, such as how to raise children born in the midst of interstellar travel and ethical concerns. There are still many unknowns about the sun’s behavior and the dangers it poses to life on Earth.