What Would Living on Mars Really Be Like?
From terraforming to underground cities, every option is unsettling
If we destroy Earth by burning fossil fuels and discarding plastics into the ocean, what would we do next?
Science fiction would have us believe that moving between planets will be a piece of cake. Just buy a ticket and make sure to keep your phone charged during the 7-month journey. But as we all know, nothing is as easy as Hollywood would have us believe.
Back when I was a graduate student in astrophysics, the idea of living on Mars seemed dubious. But now that both Elon Musk and NASA are talking about sending humans to Mars within the next few decades, we can only help but wonder whether technology will really advance quickly enough to make this dream come true.
Assuming a Mars mission is possible, what would it be like to set foot on the red planet?
Life will be hard
The first obstacle to living on Mars has to do with the planet’s lack of an atmosphere. Although it does have a bit of air (mostly carbon dioxide), it’s extremely thin. We’re talking about 1% of the air density we have on Earth. The next time your flight reaches the cruising altitude of 36,000 feet, open a window. The air will be over twice as dense as what…
