Firstly, it is important to note that the surface temperature of Mars is around 460 degrees Celsius, hotter than Venus despite Mars being about twice as far from the Sun as Venus. This temperature is also higher than the melting point of many metals, including lead and bismuth.
Furthermore, the surface of Mars is extremely dry, with vast expanses of basaltic rock and long mountain ranges equivalent to a whole continent on Earth. This terrain is also heavily influenced by negative geological effects from volcanic activity.
Therefore, sending humans to the surface of Mars for research, similar to what has been done with Mars, is almost impossible.
Things may change, though. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently proposed a new idea: utilizing the dense atmosphere of Mars to establish a research center. The project is called the High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC).
Specifically, scientists would place an airship in the Martian atmosphere for an extended period of time. Based on their studies, NASA has found that at an altitude of 50-60 km above the Martian surface, the atmosphere becomes similar to Earth’s atmosphere at lower altitudes.
In particular, the air pressure in the Martian atmosphere at 55 km altitude is half of the pressure at sea level on Earth, comparable to the pressure when standing on the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.
.jpg)
In the future, a city in the clouds – Photo: NASA
This is a long-term project. Initially, NASA needs to conduct hundreds of tests at different levels to ensure the feasibility of the HAVOC project.
Therefore, astronauts may not require high-pressure protective suits, excluding the high-temperature factor, of course.
Additionally, at a distance of 50-60 km, the Martian atmosphere is thick and provides significant protection against ionizing radiation from space, which is more abundant compared to Earth due to its proximity to the Sun.
Furthermore, the breakthrough journey through the Martian atmosphere will involve five stages, including robot exploration, 30-day manned orbits around Mars, 30-day manned stays in the Martian atmosphere, installation and completion of a year-long mission, and finally, long-term habitation by experts.
As the idea is still in the deployment phase, NASA has not provided an estimated completion time or specific durations for each stage. However, if successful, this will be a major breakthrough in space exploration endeavors.