Post-earth times: Survival and War on Mars

It's 2220 now. This year, because of the outbreak of nuclear war, the earth's air and all water sources were polluted, and the magnetic field and ozone layer were also destroyed. Survivors of the earth had to make a hasty decision to go to other planets. This time, can people live as well as on the unpolluted earth?

The harsh environment of Mars

Mars, which is very close to the earth and has a similar living environment to the earth, will undoubtedly become the first alternative home for the earth people. Rockets launched by NASA and Orion manned spacecraft, Interstellar Transportation System of Space Exploration Technology Company of elon musk and Blue Origin Space Company of Jeff Bezos have also developed manned space systems. With reliable means of transportation on Mars, we can successfully land on Mars.

But we still overestimate our endurance and underestimate the harsh environment of Mars. Mars is farther away from the sun, and its orbit is a flatter ellipse, so the temperature difference between different parts of Mars and different seasons is greater. The average temperature of Mars is -60, but the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature may be hundreds of degrees Celsius. The polar winter temperature is-126, and the summer temperature near the equator may be 0 (up to 20), so we may experience the four-season temperature change within one week. Strong sandstorms often occur on dry Mars. In just a few days, dust will wreak havoc on the whole planet, not only endangering human body, but also destroying communication system.

However, the most worrying thing is space radiation, because Mars has no magnetic field and atmosphere, and even if it wears thick protective clothing, it is still difficult to resist radiation. Astronauts who have been in space for several months often feel intense bone pain and are at risk of cancer, as well as living on Mars for a long time. Living under such conditions, it may not be long before half the people on the earth will survive.

Looking for Mars habitat

But in any case, the living will continue to live, and we can always find the most suitable place to live on Mars. Maybe we will live in Mariner's Valley, which is the largest canyon on Mars. It extends 4000 kilometers on the equator of Mars, and in some places it is as deep as 8 kilometers. Because of the low terrain and latitude, the temperature here is higher than other places, and the temperature during the day can be close to above 0. The atmospheric density at low altitude is higher, which can better shield radiation, which is particularly important in view of the fact that the average density of the Martian atmosphere is less than 1% of that of the Earth. Moreover, the soil layer in the deepest part of the canyon is very thin, and scientists think it is the easiest to exploit groundwater here.

Maybe we will live in a jellyfish nest, which is a place similar to karst landform. It is also located near the equator, with a length of 1000 km. A thick layer of volcanic ash covers the undulating surface, which will become the basic material of our building. With these building materials, we can build an egg-shaped hut, a double-layer radiation-proof roof, and the right inclination angle to let the sun shine in.

If we solve the accommodation problem, we must solve the food problem as soon as possible. Many scientists have thought about these problems. We must prepare the next batch of food quickly before we run out of food. Meat takes longer to grow than vegetables, so we must eat vegetarian food first. We can grow lettuce like NASA astronauts. Its growth cycle is very short, it can be harvested in about half a month, and it can thrive under artificial light sources. As for drinking water, if our groundwater exploitation work is not smooth, we have to temporarily drink the body fluids we discharged, and recover our sweat and urine after purification.

Develop Mars energy

None of this is a long-term solution. In order to live a better life, we need enough energy. A large number of radioactive materials uranium and thorium on Mars have entered our field of vision, and nuclear fission reaction will provide us with enough energy. With energy, everything can be said. Robert Zuberlin, the founder of the American Mars Association, proposed ways to transform the atmosphere of Mars and carry out industrial revolution as soon as possible, such as building a factory that emits carbon tetrachloride on Mars. Carbon tetrafluoride is a greenhouse gas. If/kloc-0.000 tons of carbon tetrafluoride is emitted every hour, the average temperature of Mars will rise by 27.8 in 30 years, and the energy required for this process can only be provided by five nuclear power plants.

James Greene, an astronomer of NASA, also proposed a method of "establishing" the magnetic field of Mars. A large dipole, a closed circuit, was built in the space about 6.5438+0.08 thousand kilometers away from Mars. The current energy is strong enough to generate an artificial magnetic field, which can cover the whole of Mars.

The challenge of reproducing on Mars

With the atmosphere and magnetic field, we began to plant trees, raise pigs, build base stations, and live the same happy life as on earth? The ideal is beautiful, but the reality is cruel, because it is estimated that the shortest time to "build" the atmosphere and magnetic field is about 1000 years, and it may take hundreds of millions of years if it is not smooth. Well, anyway, we have survived on Mars. If we can't enjoy the bright future, let's leave it to future generations.

Wait, can we leave our offspring on Mars? At this time, it may have been several years since the first batch of Martian immigrants landed on Mars, and the issue of reproduction should be put on the agenda. But perhaps we will be surprised to find that the birth rate on Mars is much lower than that on Earth. How can newborns look strange?

Because sperm needs gravity to move and combine with eggs, amniotic fluid in the mother's body also needs gravity to flow constantly to provide nutrition for the fetus, and the gravity on Mars is only 38% of that on the earth, which means that it takes a long time for people on earth who have adapted to the gravity of the earth to adapt to the gravity of Mars, and the pregnancy of the fetus will also be affected.

If the child is lucky enough to be born, what will the "Martian newborn" look like? They may look like big-headed dolls without protein, with swollen bodies and limbs, pale faces and fragile bones. Of course, the reason is not only the lack of protein. Under the gravity of the earth, our tissue fluid will be pulled down, but as the gravity of Mars becomes smaller, the tissue fluid of Martian newborns will also be pulled down, and the tissue fluid may accumulate on the face and limbs, making it "swollen". The gravity of the heart becomes smaller, so it may contract and pump less blood, which will make the child paler and weaker. More seriously, the decrease of gravity and the increase of radiation will lead to the deformation of bones and muscles, the lengthening of spine, the swelling of bones and muscles in legs, but also more fragile, and the possibility of fracture is greatly improved.

The first Mars War

Even though there are so many difficulties and misfortunes, human beings are still very adaptable. After several generations, human genes may gradually adapt to the environment. However, the problem comes again. The living environment of Mars is still very bad in a short time. What if the living area is small, the food resources are few, and the population grows rapidly? No matter what others do, at least make sure that my resources are well managed. Maybe everyone will have this idea.

The idea of establishing Mars Internet All the elements of constructing Mars Internet: from satellite group to space signal transmission rules

On the earth, the looting of territory and resources runs through the whole human history. How should we deal with it? First of all, diplomatic negotiations, diplomacy without results, economic sanctions, but on Mars, economic sanctions may not be effective, after all, everyone is likely to be as poor, then solve it by force, and the first Mars war broke out.

We know that Mars is very dry, there are no decent lakes, and there is no ocean, so the navy can forget it, mainly equipped with the army and air force. The army's armored vehicles and tanks and other heavy mecha are of little use, because the terrain of Mars is much more rugged than that of the earth, and the settlements are not plains, but ravines and canyons. Where's the gun? Machine guns affected by gravity may also fail, the trajectory of bullets will be different from that on the earth, and soldiers will be more "light as swallows" than those on the earth, making it easier to avoid bullets.

The zero-gravity Phoenix laser rifle that once appeared in the 007 series video game "Night Fire" may become the new favorite of the Mars War. It is a weapon that uses the high energy and high temperature of laser to attack opponents and will not be affected by gravity. 1989, the rocket beam experiment conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory is the prototype of this weapon. Scientists have loaded a neutral particle beam accelerator on the rocket, which can accelerate hydrogen particles to a high speed of tens of thousands of kilometers per second and emit hydrogen particle beams through electrodes for bombarding targets. The hydrogen particle beam emitted in the experiment can accurately hit the satellite in space, but this accelerator with a length of 1 m and a weight of more than 55 kg is not suitable as a hand-held weapon, and it will take more time to equip the troops.

So how will the air combat be carried out? The air combat on Mars may not be as indiscriminate as the full-screen plane in the game, because the minerals on Mars may not be enough to support the manufacture of a large number of planes, but with superb space technology, the air combat can also be fierce. In 20 18, the United States Joint Space Operations Center reported many times that Russia launched the "Black Knight" satellite, which means that the rocket carrying a large communication satellite hides a small satellite with unknown function, and "fish in troubled waters" secretly launches it into space. The US military suspects that the "Black Knight" satellite is used to detect or destroy other satellites, and can play a role in destroying communication and even attacking in space warfare.

Of course, America is not to be outdone. The X-37B space plane, which claims to play a role in weather forecasting and scientific experiments, has been launched several times, the longest time being in orbit for 689 days. Military experts from all over the world also speculate that it is carrying out secret military tasks in space, such as monitoring and detecting communication systems of other countries. If there are indeed many "Black Knight" satellites and small space planes in space, they are likely to show their talents in future air battles.