Anjani Ganase considers space exploration and what it would take to colonise Mars.
We have been fascinated by the exploration of space, but our ability to explore is only made possible by the comforts that planet Earth has afforded us.
Most astronauts who go out to space become even more appreciative of the world that has evolved to one rich in life in the vast and barren endlessness of space. While conversations on colonising another planet may seem glamorous and visionary, the reality of harsh foreign environments not made for Earthlings and zero resources implies a life dedicated to survival and still completely dependent on Earth’s resources.
What do we need to survive on any planet?
Here are the main ingredients for life – essential elements: carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur, and of course water as the major solvent and medium for transport.
Everything, from us to trees to corals, is built on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.
We use carbon extracted from the atmosphere as carbon dioxide by plants to build complex organic matter (carbohydrates, fats, proteins). Nitrogen is another inert gas extracted from the air by nitrogen-fixing bacteria and is an essential building block in our DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Phosphorus forms DNA and the compound called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the currency for energy that is provided to your cells. Sulphur supports most enzyme reactions, which speed up chemical reactions in our body, which, industrially, would require a lot of heat and pressure to occur.
The most important component, however, is water. This is the medium for moving around and mixing all these important elements and compounds together. The properties of the water molecule are unique, and supported the evolution of life on Earth. Water has a relatively high melting and boiling point, making it liquid at a large range of temperatures and environments. Water is the densest at 4 C, and when it solidifies, the lattice structure of ice makes it float unlike other solids. This is why lakes do not freeze from top to bottom, but can still house aquatic life during the winter. Water is critical to life as we know it.
Even if these occur on a planet, there is no guarantee of life. Natural disturbances, such as an asteroid event or volcanic activity, must spark the formation of certain molecules that serve as the precursor to life (genetic material) that eventually evolve into micro-organisms. After 4.5 billion years of evolution, planet Earth has become environmentally stable and rich in biodiversity.
This is the only understanding of life and evolution humans have ever known – our own.
Who wants to go to Mars?
Our neighbour Mars has been the subject of many science-fiction movies, inspired the fictional planets of Star Wars and the subject of (funny and not so funny) conversation as the alternative to planet Earth.
However, Mars, despite being the most like Earth in contrast to the othe
