[no2pencil]

NASA's new Mars picture
The US space agency NASA has recently pieced together a panoramic view from the camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, calling it the "next best thing to being" on the Red Planet.

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Mars Rover Opportunity catches its own late-afternoon shadow in a view eastward across Endeavour Crater on Mars.

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This image shows lava flows in the shape of coils located near the equatorial region of Mars. Analyzing high-resolution images of the region, researchers have determined the area was sculpted by volcanic activity in the recent geologic past. This is the first time such geologic features have been discovered outside of Earth

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A Martian dust devil roughly 12 miles high was captured winding its way along the Amazonis Planitia region of northern Mars.

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[modi123_1]

Side note - Mars One is looking for people to permanently immigrate to Mars.

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The central point to this Mars mission is that the participants emigrate – living and working on Mars for the rest of their lives. This is the most important reason that this plan is feasible. It goes without saying that we are taking care of the living needs of the settlers, but more on that later. First, we must elaborate on why a 'return ticket' is pretty much impossible when talking about the Red Planet.

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If you were worried about financing:

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A manned mission to Mars is one of the most exciting, inspiring and ambitious adventures that mankind can take on. We see this as a journey that belongs to us all, and it is for this reason that we will make every step one that we take together. This will also be our way to finance the mission: the mission to Mars will be the biggest media event ever!

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Anyone interested in a one way trip to our red neighbor?

[no2pencil]

modi123_1, on 09 July 2012 - 08:28 PM, said:

Anyone interested in a one way trip to our red neighbor?

Can we send families with four or more kids on welfare?

[ishkabible]

in the first picture, what are the markings that look like tire tracks. at first I thought they were form the rover but that doesn't make sense depth-wise that a little tiny rover would make tire tracks as big as a hill line.

edit:
modi: I can't wait for someone *else* to do that. I hope they have internet there

This post has been edited by ishkabible: 09 July 2012 - 05:35 PM

[fromTheSprawl]

The first picture looks like a videogame. The 3rd one I cannot even decipher what it is if not for the description... so yeah, I'm staying on Earth for now. Oh, and maiden voyages tend to end in disaster. Except if you're one of Methuselah's Children.

[motcom]

I wonder if they will have internet and satellite tv. A Golf course or a shopping centre. I just think it could get pretty boring pretty fast with just 10 people around you.. Who knows, might even turn out into a space horror show

[Aphex19]

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Side note - Mars One is looking for people to permanently immigrate to Mars.

I don't think it would be wise or feasible for human beings to attempt to inhabit Mars, that is unless it is terraformed in some way, which I for one would love to see happen if at all possible. I guess that it's possible to have some sort of closed ecosystem which could sustain life though. I say either build/grow an indoor rainforest or start taking the idea of terraforming more seriously, perhaps invest some more R&D on the idea. One day, if human beings survive themselves, this might be our only hope for an extra 500,000 years of humanity.

This post has been edited by Aphex19: 19 July 2012 - 02:34 AM

[DarenR]

Those are all Lucas Films productions..............

[Bort]

I'm rather tempted to sign up actually. It will be dangerous and crazy, but I also think it would be great.

Now, what skills can I offer them? I don't think they would accept mediocre programming skills, or the ability to run long campaigns of D&D (although who knows? A 7 month journey could be just the time for a long campaign, lol).

Ooh, I just noticed I got a lounge lizard badge. Thanks, whoever did that, it goes with my sig

This post has been edited by Bort: 19 July 2012 - 06:21 AM

[jon.kiparsky]

no2pencil, on 09 July 2012 - 07:21 PM, said:

NASA's new Mars picture

This image shows lava flows in the shape of coils located near the equatorial region of Mars. Analyzing high-resolution images of the region, researchers have determined the area was sculpted by volcanic activity in the recent geologic past. This is the first time such geologic features have been discovered outside of Earth

image

A Martian dust devil roughly 12 miles high was captured winding its way along the Amazonis Planitia region of northern Mars.

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The only question is which of these is a better wallpaper?

Good thing I've got two machines on my desk...

[lordofduct]

Aphex19, on 19 July 2012 - 04:32 AM, said:

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Side note - Mars One is looking for people to permanently immigrate to Mars.

I don't think it would be wise or feasible for human beings to attempt to inhabit Mars, that is unless it is terraformed in some way, which I for one would love to see happen if at all possible. I guess that it's possible to have some sort of closed ecosystem which could sustain life though. I say either build/grow an indoor rainforest or start taking the idea of terraforming more seriously, perhaps invest some more R&D on the idea. One day, if human beings survive themselves, this might be our only hope for an extra 500,000 years of humanity.

You have to start somewhere...

And Mars is not a good candidate for full atmosphere terra-forming, with it's lack of a strong magnetosphere. Sustaining an atmosphere for a long time is pretty difficult with out one.

Where as say a micro habitats on the ground, or even underground, are very reasonable. And could be the testing ground for terra-forming technologies, including something to possibly deal with weak mageneto-spheres. But it's rather brazen to just start out with terra-forming an entire planet... unit testing, it's the way to go, especially when you're talking about massive amounts of resources wasted if you fail.

[Bort]

lordofduct, on 19 July 2012 - 03:13 PM, said:

You have to start somewhere...

And Mars is not a good candidate for full atmosphere terra-forming, with it's lack of a strong magnetosphere. Sustaining an atmosphere for a long time is pretty difficult with out one.

Where as say a micro habitats on the ground, or even underground, are very reasonable. And could be the testing ground for terra-forming technologies, including something to possibly deal with weak mageneto-spheres. But it's rather brazen to just start out with terra-forming an entire planet... unit testing, it's the way to go, especially when you're talking about massive amounts of resources wasted if you fail.

The Mars One website has some ideas on it about how to start a terraforming process on Mars. Basically it consisted of taking plants to produce more oxygen. Not really a terraforming project as such, but hey, it's a start.

[jon.kiparsky]

Bort, on 19 July 2012 - 09:39 AM, said:

The Mars One website has some ideas on it about how to start a terraforming process on Mars. Basically it consisted of taking plants to produce more oxygen. Not really a terraforming project as such, but hey, it's a start.

Without a magnetosphere, life on the surface is not going to be very pleasant, no matter how much oxygen you've got.

In short:

Wikipedia said:

Earth’s magnetosphere protects the ozone layer from the solar wind. The ozone layer protects the Earth (and life on it) from dangerous ultraviolet radiation

This post has been edited by jon.kiparsky: 19 July 2012 - 07:52 AM

[Bort]

jon.kiparsky, on 19 July 2012 - 03:50 PM, said:

Without a magnetosphere, life on the surface is not going to be very pleasant, no matter how much oxygen you've got.

In short:

Wikipedia said:

Earth’s magnetosphere protects the ozone layer from the solar wind. The ozone layer protects the Earth (and life on it) from dangerous ultraviolet radiation

This is true, and if nothing else, it would certainly encourage the residents to try to find some kind of solution to the lack of magnetoshpere.

Then again, it is stage one of a colonisation attempt on an entire new world. Life wasn't easy when people emigrated to the Americas, it ain't going to be easy when they emigrate to Mars, but I think that could be half of the appeal for some people. It is the new frontier (make you wonder though, how many more frontiers before we reach Kirk telling God off?). A chance for exploration on this level hasn't been seen since America was discovered by us Europeans.

[v0rtex]

The Mars-one project seems rather fascinating and I am quite intrigued by the idea of human habitation without terraforming the planet first (as I thought this would be essential) but it will be interesting in the years to come to see if the project manages to stay on track for its 2023 date.