Just a thought... If we could run a superconductor wire of many turns around Mars at the geosync orbit, how many turns and current we need to feed to get a magnetic field comparable to Earth? Note that we may not have too much power, meaning only say a 1000 AMP from a large Solar Cell array.
it all depends on how far the shield is from the planet something wreally tight around mars would need to be wreal strong but the further out you go the less power it reqruiers (earth has something below 0,001 tesla field I think) So the further out you go the less amps you would need to send ... in a possible superconductor... Does it matters how much amps you send through a superconductor if you don't get resistance your feeld is going to last quit long, anyway the size is going to be the biggest problem it's got to be hughe. Perhaps it doesn't need to cover the entire planet but only a certain percentage
The field strength should be equal to N*I where N= number of turns and I = current in amps. At geosync orbit, it should be cold enough, even to have a silver alloy to work efficiently. A robot with a large pool of wire should do the job. Eventually you may need three of these coils for redundancy. Carbon fiber could also be used. Somewhere I read that carbon fiber can be processed to exhibit negative electrical resistance. It could be a hoax...but if we could at least get to super conducting properties, that would work.
Best yet, why not send our chemicals up there, and all of our rubbish...? I think this idea has been taken though Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
exactly...except the cost of mass transport from Earth surface to space is sorta really really high. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Dude, forgettaboutit. Extracting oxygen from water is feasable, but I'd want to put it in a dome of some sort.
I'd rather we just get the Earth cleaned up first before we go out and do anything else. If we can't get our own planet running right then just how are we going to get another one going right?
Another artist conception http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/marsdome3.html Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Inside Mars habitat dome looking out over the orchard towards the aquaculture pond on a less windy day. The high speed, seasonal dust filled winds cover the complete globe of the planet. Water maybe drilled for, as on Earth. It's speculated that water is no longer on the surface of Mars because the water that was there was broken down into it's constituant parts Hydrogen and Oxygen from exposure to the sun's rays. With the Hydrogen seperated from the Oxygen and because of the low gravity and no magnetic field of Mars the Hydrogen 'leaked' away, out into space. ----------------------------- We need a magnetic field before we do this
While looking for an artist concept of Mars colony, I found an interesting site. May be we should setup a cave system to live there close to where water is or find underground water.
1) Use nuclear systems on Mars 2) Melt water from North Ice cap 3) Extract any chemicals from soil...including water (it is present there) 4) Electrolysis water, to make oxygen and hydrogen...use hydrogen for later as fuel 5) Recycle everything.
Yes, we should first send several robotic missions to send supplies... Solar, Nuclear and wind generator for power Electrolysis system including compressor Dome supplies vehicles and drills that runs on Hydrogen and Oxygen Seeds - lentils, soybean etc... metal extraction material Brick making supplies First team should have enough supplies to last a year plus ability to grow food for next few years. All this depends on two major items. Energy and water. The group that goes there should plan on staying there for 3 to 4 years in case of trouble.
Another idea is to build a fully equped space station on earth orbit and send it to Mars to act as a space station with small rocket planes for planetary survey
Maybe there are caves full of oxygen already, heated by geothermal springs, with lusty Martian maidens cavorting in the waterfalls by the light of the luminescent fungi.