On June 07, 2018, NASA in their press conference revealed that they have found ancient organic materials and methane on Mars. As this revelation sparked alien debate among conspiracy theorists, a top NASA official has now opened up about the difficulties humans may face during the Mars colonization mission.
In an exclusive interview with the USA Today, NASA chief scientist Jim Green revealed that humans will definitely go to Mars, and made it clear that the first person who will step his foot on Mars might be living somewhere today.
During the talk, Green outlined some of the noted difficulties NASA will face while taking humans to the red planet.
The landing dilemma
Landing safely will be undoubtedly the most crucial challenge NASA will come across during the manned Mars mission. As per current technologies, NASA is capable of landing a spacecraft weighing one ton on Mars. It should be noted that NASA should park a spacecraft weighing at least 10 tons if humans are being carried to Mars.
The Mars mission spacecraft should also land on Mars with precision in the desired destination. Landing on gigantic mountains, hills or rocks could pose huge risks to the astronauts involved in the mission.
Mars mission will not be a one-way ticket
Things will be very easy if the Mars mission is a one-way journey. However, NASA is planning to book two-way tickets to the astronauts. It means that the astronauts should land on Mars first, and they should return from the red planet safely.
"Sometime in the next decade, we plan to blast off the surface of Mars and return," said Jim Green, USA Today reports.
Harsh weather conditions
The weather on Mars will not be that comfortable like on earth, and the fluctuating temperature is expected to create huge problems for the astronauts. Human beings who visit Mars would have to wear space suits all the time, as the average temperature on Mars will be way less than zero degree Celsius. The atmosphere on Mars is completely filled with carbon dioxide, and it is not at all good for human beings. Dust storms lasting for months are also common in the red planet.
The problem of building infrastructure
The pioneer visitors who reach Mars would be responsible for laying the first stone for humans' Mars colonization. To colonize Mars, humans should build homes on Mars, and should also find a reliable food source.
Even in the midst of these potential challenges, Green made it clear that Mars is undoubtedly the best destination where humans can expand their civilization.
"Now, we see Mars is an even better location for having past life. It's just getting better and better," added Green.
