Atmosphere | Episode 1 | Mars Habitation

What can one talk about but Mars on a day when a Chinese rover has landed on the Red Planet, and Elon Musk is aggressively testing Starship for Mars travel? I am sure you would agree: Mars will soon see humans walking on its surface.

But would reaching Mars mean humans can actually live there? Are there more problems to solve before humans can inhabit the Red Planet? Is there oxygen on Mars, and can humans breathe naturally? What about gravity, water for an ecological system, or a magnetic field to protect us from solar radiation?

There are many interesting aspects of Mars, and exploring all of them will take time. This is part of a series where we'll discuss the step-by-step approach to colonizing Mars. Today, we shall talk about a simple thing called breathing.

Can We Breathe on Mars?

Take a deep breath and relax. Why? Because here on Earth, we can do that without thinking. We don't know of any other place in this universe where we can breathe naturally. Many planets and moons in our solar system have atmospheres, but none of them could support life as we know it. They are either too dense (like Venus) or not dense enough (like Mars), and none of them have much oxygen—the precious gas that we Earthly beings need every minute.

The current Martian atmosphere consists mostly of carbon dioxide. It is far too thin and cold to support liquid water, an essential ingredient for life. On Mars, the atmospheric pressure is less than one percent of Earth's. Any liquid water on the surface would very quickly evaporate or freeze.

So, how do humans plan to survive on Mars without an Earth-like atmosphere, especially if we plan to stay there for long periods or forever? Without a doubt, humans would need an Earth-like atmosphere to exist on Mars.

The big question is: what are the possible ways to create an Earth-like atmosphere on Mars?

Terraforming Mars

There are many theories on how to make Mars hospitable to life, a process known as terraforming.

Elon Musk's Nuclear Suggestion

Elon Musk has suggested that we could heat up Mars' atmosphere by exploding a nuclear bomb over its polar caps. The heat would vaporize the frozen carbon dioxide to greenhouse-warm the planet and melt the water ice. Radiation might not be a huge problem since the explosion would happen in space over the poles.

However, this raises many scientific, ethical, and legal questions. From a scientific point of view, it is estimated that the resulting melted water ice could easily cover the planet with several meters of water, but it wouldn't last long. The carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere would double the pressure, but it would still not be enough to sustain liquid water and life.

Mining Martian Soil

Mars has abundant carbon dioxide locked in its soil and rocks. However, NASA research has shown that even if we mine Mars' entire surface for carbon dioxide, the atmospheric pressure would still only reach about 10-14% of Earth's—not enough to sustain liquid water. Therefore, terraforming Mars seems like a difficult task with our current technology. With future technological advances, we might excavate minerals deep in the Martian crust for carbon dioxide and water.

Comets and Asteroids

Another theory is that we could allow or redirect comets and asteroids to hit Mars, releasing water and gases. However, impacts alone wouldn't be enough to create a lasting, breathable atmosphere in the short term.

Cyanobacteria

Some scientists believe that introducing cyanobacteria—which were responsible for converting early Earth's atmosphere of methane and ammonia into an oxygen-rich one via photosynthesis—could be introduced into the Martian atmosphere.

For now, the answer to creating a habitable atmosphere on Mars may not be entirely clear. But with our rovers currently rolling over Mars, and by the time the first humans visit the Red Planet, I am sure we will have solved many of these problems.