Will Mars be Earth 2.0? – The Nation

Elon Musk has been an active advocate of creating cities for humans on Mars. He is not the only one. The concept of colonizing Mars first appeared as a fictional narrative in the 1897 novel Two Planets by Kurd Lasswitz. The story is about Arctic explorers who find a Martian base. The Martians take some explorers to Mars. The novel was published 72 years before the first man landed on the Moon in 1969.

Colonizing Mars has remained a concept for humans for eons. However, with advancements in science and technology, we are devising ways to journey to the Red Planet. It is not the journey that excites us but the possibility of living there. Musk has time and again explained the idea of living on Mars. In 2019 Musk said that Its been almost half a century since humans were last on the moon. Thats too long, we need to get back there and have a permanent base on the moon again, like a big permanently occupied base on the moon. And then build a city on Mars to become a spacefaring civilization, a multi-planet species.

No matter how thrilling the idea sounds, the logistical challenges will be monumental indeed. Imagine taking construction raw materials to Mars including objects ranging from nails and irons, beams, concrete and glass, to equipment and heavy machinery including bulldozers, front loaders, dump trucks, and cranes among others.

Humans would have to build cities and towns on Mars from scratch. They would need to conduct soil sampling before erecting the foundations for their cities. Weather conditions including wind pressure and other climate changes will need to be addressed.

Life on Mars will not be easy. Humans will need to create cities enclosed in glass or a concrete dome to maintain proper oxygen levels and perhaps to simulate day and night through artificial means. There needs to be a continuous supply of water to complete daily tasks. Electricity needs to be available round the clock to complete chores such as cooking and washing.

The lifestyle on Mars will need to be different from the tried and tested environment on Earth. One wonders what economic model will the humans pursue on Mars. Will there be banking and investment? Will humans earn by doing jobs? If humans plan on earning on Mars, then the Earths economic system would need to be implemented. Or, the banking and economic system would be extended to Mars. The humans on Mars will also need avenues to spend their salaries. This will bring about the need to build shopping malls and departmental stores.

The children on Mars should be taught to become thinkers, innovators, and inventors. They should be allowed to follow a discipline of their choosing. The learning activities at schools should be focused on improving intelligence.

Colonising Mars will not be an easy task. It will require months and perhaps years of planning to send human and capital resources to Mars. Effective brainstorming and implementation of plans will be required to create an eco-friendly sustainable city that is suitable for animal and plant life.

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Will Mars be Earth 2.0? - The Nation