Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Let's Take Care of What We've GotBetter to safeguard our existing animals and the Earth than resurrect extinct species or flee to another planet we should take better care of the animals we have But that project — along with Elon Musk’s obsession with establishing a colony on Mars — makes me wonder: Wouldn’t the enthusiasm and resources be better devoted to protecting the animals and planet we already have Colossal Biosciences Inc., a Texas-based startup, provided details in a paper earlier this month Each mammouse — forgive me — had seven genes altered to give it an abundance of golden fluff and an altered fat metabolism The mice will be observed to see if they’re better adapted to cold temperatures The company’s aim is to genetically modify Asian elephants to express woolly mammoth traits; the mice offered a comparatively easier way to test the impact of the proposed tweaks But some scientists are skeptical about whether this really brings us closer to creating a living woolly mammoth As humanity dreams of exploring Mars and settling other planets many South Coast women are setting their sights on a mission closer to home—repairing and revitalizing their own living spaces a trusted handyman service based in Wareham is stepping up to help make those earthly goals a reality the business offers a wide array of home repair services designed to make life easier and more comfortable for homeowners—especially women navigating the demands of maintaining a home on their own From fixing leaky faucets and patching drywall to repairing decks and installing safety features "We’re not just fixing homes; we’re building trust," said Mack "Many of our clients are women who just want someone dependable and respectful to help with the upkeep of their home With a strong commitment to service and community Alton Barnes serves homeowners across the South Coast The business is known for quick response times and quality craftsmanship—earning it a loyal base of repeat clients Mack encourages homeowners not to put off those lingering repairs “We all have dreams of what the future could look like,” he said “But let’s not forget the homes we’re living in today Taking care of our space brings peace of mind—and that matters just as much as space travel.” For more information or to schedule a repair 📞 Call Us Today: 774-361-5520📧 Email Us: altonbarnesco@gmail.com🌐 Visit Our Website: https://altonbarnes.com Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Submit your email address to receive the latest industry and Aerospace America news tend to react by ordering up new and better hardware or rockets that can carry more people or cargo is placed on the less exciting but absolutely critical technologies for achieving whatever the strategic goal might be Exhibit A would be the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq R&D dollars were poured into airships and other risky ideas the troops whose lives were at stake on battlefields faced a constant struggle to obtain the computers software and radios for receiving and sharing intelligence collections from those platforms Some resorted to their personal smartphones I don’t know what drives our national fixation with large platforms Maybe we’re just reflecting an ancient predilection to make a bigger spear Maybe it’s all about a political system that values factory jobs in congressional districts the problem is real and far from limited to military matters We are now witnessing it play out in the civil space domain NASA is focused largely on the Space Launch System rockets required to get humans to lunar orbit so they can be brought to the surface of the moon “to stay.” Simultaneously Elon Musk is focused on the Starship rockets he’ll need to colonize Mars predicting that a million people will be sent by 2050 NASA has spent upward of $20 billion on SLS plus $4 billion slated to go to SpaceX to pay for Starship’s planned role of carrying astronauts to the surface and back to lunar orbit no one knows for sure that humans can survive and proliferate in deep space This month’s cover story focuses on the most fundamental unanswered biological question: What about the radiation If promises to expand human society into space are to be taken seriously more focus must be placed on radiation and the other questions related to human beings living away from Earth forever a reasonable person must snicker at a promise of a million people on Mars As editor-in-chief from 2013 to March 2025 Ben kept the magazine and its news coverage on the cutting edge of journalism He began working for the magazine in the 1990s as a freelance contributor He was editor of C4ISR Journal and has written for Air & Space Smithsonian Already a member? Click to log in Aerospace America is where the boldest ideas in aviation and space take flight Aerospace America has been the go-to source for breaking news and diverse perspectives that shape the future of aerospace As the flagship publication of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) it connects more than 25,000 industry professionals worldwide — from rising engineers to industry pioneers NASA is now looking ahead to moon landings and a lunar space station China’s space agency aims to deploy lunar landers and rovers and to build a research station on the moon Companies in the US and Japan have plans in the works for their own moon landers too like “Noah’s arks,” will make humanity a “multiplanetary species,” including building sprawling civilizations on the Red Planet the thin air is almost entirely made up of carbon dioxide The temperatures are as cold as Antarctica It’s many times drier than the Atacama Desert in Chile Mars is hundreds of times more distant than that But there’s only so much the agencies can study from afar von Braun led NASA’s development of the powerful Saturn V rocket used in the space race with the Soviet Union while treating our world like an unpopulated national park but those won’t happen until later this decade a potential SpaceX competitor for NASA’s commercial crew program to the ISS with the first crewed flight scheduled for April 2023 While these companies have made significant accomplishments they’re far behind the out-of-this world comments made by some CEOs “It would be easier to justify going to the moon and then Mars if people weren’t starving and dying I don’t think there’s a scientific rational reason for it a space theoretician at the Open University in the UK Living in contradiction is what the human experience is Depending on the animating vision behind Mars exploration Treviño prefers the term “migrants”—partly to destigmatize migration on Earth—and she favors including an artist to make sense of the existential experience Let’s say it works: Humanity overcomes the cost and practical barriers of settling Mars There’s one thing left to consider: Maybe Mars would be better off without us We’d also mine the surface, likely reproducing the economic inequalities and unsustainable practices already prevalent on Earth. For example, Treviño says, there’s a limited supply of Martian ice, but no binding rules exist saying who could use it terraforming and mining attempts may well destroy them and their ecosystem It’s the height of hubris for one species to decide what should be done with an entire planet that’s not their homeworld Our travels many millions of miles away will likely serve to remind us how lucky we are to have our own world says Sasha Sagan: “I suspect that the further we go the more we’ll realize how precious and valuable this one planet is.” In your inbox: Upgrade your life with WIRED-tested gear “Wi-Fi keeps going down”: Trump’s RTO mandate is going terribly Big Story: The worm that no computer scientist can crack Yuval Noah Harari: “Prepare to share the planet with AI superintelligence” Uncanny Valley: An insider look at the influence of Silicon Valley It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking there's been a debate in the US over how to direct NASA's next major human spaceflight initiative Do we build an outpost on the Moon as a step towards Mars or do we just head straight for the red planet it'll be viewed as the first step toward a permanent human presence outside of the immediate neighborhood of the Earth All of that indecision, according to a new book called Beyond Earth Either of these destinations presents so many challenges and compromises that attracting and supporting anything more than short-term visitors will be difficult we should set our sights much farther out in the Solar System if we want to create a permanent human presence elsewhere Colonizing Titan seems like an outrageous argument given that the only spacecraft we've put in orbit around Saturn took seven years to get there Why should anyone take Beyond Earth seriously its authors aren't crackpots or mindless space fans Amanda Hendrix is a planetary scientist who's worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Planetary Science Institute an environmental journalist who understands some things about establishing a livable environment And the two of them have conducted extensive interviews talking to people at NASA and elsewhere about everything from the health complications of space to future propulsion systems The resulting book is a mix of where we are now, which problems need to be solved to make a home elsewhere, and a future scenario that drives us to solve those problems. In this sense, Beyond Earth is a bit like the recent National Geographic effort Mars which blended present-day documentary with a fictionalized future But the book is a little easier to swallow then the miniseries which shunted viewers between footage of real-life rockets and CGI dust storms have atmospheres that are effectively nonexistent That means any habitation will have to be extremely robust to hold its contents in place meaning those habitats will need to be built underground as will any agricultural areas to feed the colonists Any activities on the surface will have to be limited to avoid excessive radiation exposure Would anyone want to go to a brand-new world just to spend their lives in a cramped tunnel Hendrix and Wohlforth suggest the answer will be "no." Titan offers a dense atmosphere that shields the surface from radiation and would make any structural failures problematic With an oxygen mask and enough warm clothing humans could roam Titan's surface in the dim sunlight given the low gravity and dense atmosphere they could float above it in a balloon or on personal wings would allow polymers to handle many of the roles currently played by metal and wood Drilling into Titan's crust would access a vast supply of liquid water in the moon's subsurface ocean but it's a lot more of them than you'd get on the Moon or Mars but they argue it's a bit besides the point The radiation and lack of gravity that make long-range space travel a risk would all bite anyone we sent to explore Mars but the authors are critical of the Agency promoting a journey to Mars without already having solved them the solution is speed: less time in space means less risk if we could rocket along fast enough so that a round-trip to Mars with time spent exploring was safe Beyond Earth is a good look at the current state of human space-exploration technology as well as how that will hold us back from doing the things we want to do It's both thoughtful and thought-provoking The Earth's governments bands together in a massive effort to send colonists to Titan who almost immediately begin to view themselves as pioneers who boldly settle a new world with no help from anyone and plenty of it involves believable extrapolations from our current state Whether it adds to Beyond Earth overall will probably be a matter of personal taste While the focus of the book is on leaving Earth it's hard to escape the sense that Beyond Earth is an extensive argument for staying put As Hendrix and Wohlforth repeatedly drive home there's no place we could go in our Solar System that offers anything close to what the Earth provides for us Going anywhere else would involve a cost that could go a long way toward making our existence here much more sustainable While I'm all for eventually establishing a presence elsewhere rather than end up being forced to do so due to our carelessness on Earth 3Culture🚀2,000-year-old rice recipe brought back to stunning life by Chinese students Maria Mocerinoa day ago 8Culture🚀$340,000 hidden treasure, 598 gold coins discovered in Czech while leisure hiking Maria Mocerinoa day ago 10Energy🚀US fusion research at 180,000°F super-hot plasma reveals unexpected heat flow barrier Aman Tripathi2 days ago 2Culture🌟Trump’s secure messaging app hacked, deportation airline also hit by cyberattack Aamir Khollaman hour ago 3Energy🌟US scientists end 70-year fusion struggle, paving way for better reactors Aamir Khollam2 hours ago 5Science🌟In a first, protons in biological system seen following quantum rules: Study Mrigakshi Dixit4 hours ago 7Space🌟US orders NASA to build first lunar time zone to guide astronauts on the Moon Aamir Khollam4 hours ago 10Science🌟Sperm cells use heat as a switch to power up for egg penetration, finds study Mrigakshi Dixit6 hours ago Matthew S. Williams 1, 2 there are a total of eleven robotic missions exploring Mars As the second most habitable planet beyond Earth in the Solar System these missions are busy answering vital questions about Mars’ past — foremost of which is whether or not it once supported life (or if it still does!) These efforts are expected to lead to significant advancements in just a few years and culminate with crewed missions in the next decade some people are entirely sincere about creating a new home on Mars one which will enable long-term human habitation and maybe even the birth of a Martian civilization This raises all kinds of questions about the conditions on Mars and whether humans could truly live there long-term. While there are strategies to ensure food, water, shelter, and radiation protection in the short term, there are those who argue that long-term habitability would require some serious ecological engineering — aka. Terraforming Mars could truly live up to its nickname: “Earth’s Twin.” But with all the focus dedicated to humans living on Mars we tend to overlook Earth’s other neighbor Also known as Earth’s “Sister Planet,” Venus has a lot going for it that might make it a better candidate for long-term human habitation But what exactly can Earth’s “Sister Planet” offer that “Earth’s Twin” cannot? As it turns out, there are a few benefits assuming we’re willing to put in the work With all apologies in advance to Robert Zubrin Mars is the most habitable planet in the Solar System Hence why our efforts to find evidence of extraterrestrial life are overwhelmingly focused there right now being the next-most habitable planet doesn’t mean that Mars is a playground for life as we know it the average temperature on Mars is -81 °F (-62.7 °C) which is significantly lower than what we’re used to here on Earth The temperature on the surface of Mars is also subject to a greater level of variation ranging from 68 °F (20 °C) during the summer in the equatorial region (at midday) to −243 °F (−153 °C) during winter at the poles The air is a toxic fume composed overwhelmingly of carbon dioxide (96%) with trace amounts of argon and the atmospheric pressure is less than 1% that of Earth’s Mars’ air is also way too thin to breathe in Then there’s the matter of radiation people living in developed nations are exposed to an average of 0.17 mSv a day the Martian surface is exposed to an estimated 0.73 millisieverts (mSv) a day and it’s even worse during periods of heightened solar activity all terrestrial organisms evolved in an environment where objects fall towards the surface at a rate of about 32 ft/s² (9.8 m/s²) the gravity is 37.5% of what life on Earth experiences 12.208 ft/s² (3.721 m/s²) exposure to microgravity can take a serious toll on the human physique and psyche While there is very little research concerning the effects of low-g — such as Lunar (16.54%) and Martian gravity — it is a foregone conclusion that long-term exposure will have similar consequences there are strategies for dealing with just about all of these issues the extremes in temperature and high radiation levels can be mitigated by creating structures on the surface that can maintain an atmosphere and provide sufficient radiation shielding Space agencies and commercial space entities worldwide are currently exploring ways to use Martian regolith, ice, and other materials — a process known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) — to create habitats that have outer walls capable of limiting radiation exposure These would be paired with a pressurized interior structure that would keep the atmosphere in Food, water, and energy could also be harvested locally using various ISRU methods This includes using local soil to grow food local ice to provide drinking and irrigation water and solar panels and wind farms to generate electricity It’s also suggested that Mars could be ecologically transformed to accommodate Earth life forms (a process called terraforming) As we explored in a previous article there are many ways that Mars can be terraformed three general steps are involved: thickening the atmosphere these three things are all complimentary to one another and can be accomplished by doing one thing: triggering a greenhouse effect Source: NASA One way to do this would be to import volatile compounds like ammonia and methane both of which are in abundance in the outer Solar System and ammonia (mostly nitrogen by weight) could be broken down to provide a buffer gas to thicken the atmosphere Other powerful greenhouse gases, like fluorine and chlorofluorocarbons have also been recommended as a means of heating the surface Another idea is to cover the Martian surface with low albedo (dark) material or plants which would cause more heat to be absorbed on the surface Carl Sagan himself recommended this be done in the polar regions to melt the ice caps Some more radical ideas include using an orbital mirror to direct sunlight onto the ice caps This would be especially useful when directed at Mars’ southern polar ice cap which is largely composed of dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) The release of sublimated CO2 and water vapor would have a profound greenhouse effect or iceteroids (especially those lots of volatile elements) at the surface This would kick up dust that would allow the atmosphere to absorb more solar radiation Some have even suggested using nuclear devices (looking at you Musk) to melt the polar ice caps and kick debris up into the air To ensure that this replenished atmosphere isn’t stripped away over time, NASA scientists have proposed positioning an artificial magnetic shield at the Sun-Mars L1 Lagrange Point this shield would also drastically reduce the amount of radiation the Martian surface is exposed to the process of converting the atmosphere to something breathable will commence A popular idea here is to introduce photosynthetic organisms Artificial atmospheric processors could also be built to help the process along humans may have access to medical treatments in the future that address the physical and mental effects of living in Martian gravity rotating habitats could be built in orbit Mars that would simulate the feeling of 1 g but there’s another drawback to Mars’ lower gravity Assuming we were to create an atmosphere equal to Earth in terms of air pressure (101.325 kPa) it would only hold on to 38% of this over time (38.44 kPa) This means that the air on Mars would always be too thin for comfort and people would still need to carry oxygen packs with them What’s more, it is theorized that just 700 million years ago, Venus was a temperate planet covered in oceans. This came to an end, apparently due to a near-global resurfacing event that occurred 500 million years ago where large amounts of magma bubbled up from the mantle and released massive amounts of CO² into the atmosphere This magma would have solidified before reaching the surface and created a barrier preventing the atmospheric CO² from being reabsorbed by the crust What followed was a runaway Greenhouse Effect that caused severe climate change leading to the hostile environment that we see there today if the planet could be restored to its former self — by reversing the Greenhouse Effect (which is possible) — then humanity would have a planet closer to Earth that is roughly equal in size Venus is the closest planet to Earth, ranging from a minimum distance of about 23.7 million miles (38.2 million km) to a maximum of around 62 million miles (261 million km) Earth and Venus make their closest approach every 584 days (1 year and 7 months) which is known as an “inferior conjunction.” In contrast, the average distance between Earth and Mars is about 140 million miles (225 million km) ranging from 34.6 million miles (55.7 million km) to around 249 million miles (401.3 million km) Our two planets make their closest approach every 26 months (2 years and 2 months) which is known as an “opposition” since the Sun and Mars are on opposite sides of the sky (when viewed from Earth) So not only does Venus get closer to Earth than Mars but it also makes its closest approach to us more often This means that missions to Venus could launch more often and would take less time to get there Then there’s the matter of Venus’ gravity, which is the equivalent of 90% to what we experience here on Earth – 8.87 m/s² (0.904 g) where the gravity is roughly 38% of Earth’s (0.3794 g) the health-related risks associated with lower gravity would be much lower Of course, Venus (as it is today) has its share of challenges that make the prospect of living there very difficult! These make terraforming not only a good idea but a potential necessity, assuming people want to live there in large numbers. Otherwise, they will need to be happy living in floating cities among the clouds (an actual possibility!) Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System with an average surface temperature of 867 °F (464 °C) — which is hot enough to melt metals like lead and zinc composed overwhelmingly of carbon dioxide with trace amounts of nitrogen However, unlike Mars, atmospheric pressure on Venus is a whopping 9100 kPa – that’s 90 times the pressure of Earth’s atmosphere. To experience that kind of pressure here on Earth a person would have to venture over 3,000 feet (910 meters) under the sea So unless you have a vehicle that can withstand extreme heat and pressure you’re not getting anywhere near the surface As if that weren’t enough, Venus’ atmosphere is also permeated by clouds of sulfuric acid rain These have been observed in Venus’ upper atmosphere and may not condense closer to the surface But spacecraft attempting to land on the surface must first penetrate this acidic shroud Venus also has the slowest rotation period of any major planet taking roughly 243 Earth days to rotate once on its axis Venus rotates in the opposite direction as the Sun (retrograde rotation) which is something astronomers have only ever observed with one other planet (Uranus) RELATED: WHAT IS MEANT BY “HABITABLE ZONE” AND HOW DO WE DEFINE IT? Between its slow retrograde rotation and the fact that Venus takes close to 225 days to orbit the Sun a single “solar day” on Venus lasts 116.75 days This means that for an observer on the surface of Venus it takes close to four months for the Sun to set and rise again (compared to 24 hours here on Earth) which means that it experiences virtually no variation in temperature but also its slow rotation and its low axial tilt (3° vs which essentially means that Venus doesn’t experience seasons or anything we might consider a day-night cycle If you’re thinking that this is starting to sound like something out of Dante’s Inferno it could be made into something more akin to a tropical island paradise with the right kind of ecological techniques and some serious elbow grease Venus could be terraformed into an ocean planet with mild temperatures and endless beachfront property Much like terraforming Mars, these three goals are complementary, even if they are the complete opposite. Luckily for us, Venus has a lot to work with, and the outcome would be easier for humans to adapt to. The first proposed method was made by none other than Carl Sagan in 1961 in a paper titled “The Planet Venus.” It was in this paper that Sagan argued that seeding the atmosphere of Venus with genetically engineered cyanobacteria could gradually convert the atmospheric carbon dioxide to organic molecules the subsequent discovery of sulfuric acid clouds and the effects of solar wind made this proposal impractical It would be another thirty years before another proposal for terraforming Venus was made, which was done by British Paul Birch in his 1991 paper “Terraforming Venus Quickly.” According to Birch flooding Venus’ atmosphere with hydrogen would trigger a chemical reaction The graphite would be sequestered while the water would fall as rain and cover 80% of the surface in oceans This proposal reminded many scientists of what Venus was thought to be like before the Space Age — that its dense canopy was once thought to be made up of rainclouds “The Long Rain” (a science fiction short story about Venus by Ray Bradbury) has become synonymous with terraforming Venus Another idea was to flood Venus’ atmosphere with refined magnesium and calcium, put forward by planetary physicist Mark Bullock and astrobiologist David H. Grinspoon. In a paper titled “The stability of climate on Venus,” they ventured that this would sequester carbon dioxide in the form of calcium and magnesium carbonates something that was recommended by Birch and famed aerospace engineer and space exploration advocate Robert Zubrin This concept would involve using a series of small reflective spacecraft in Venus’ atmosphere to divert sunlight Alternately, a single large shade could be positioned at the Sun-Venus L1 Lagrangian point to limit the amount of sunlight reaching Venus preventing Venus’ atmosphere from being stripped and also shielding the planet from solar radiation resulting in the liquefaction or freezing of atmospheric CO² which would then be deposited on the surface as dry ice (which could be shipped off-world or sequestered underground) In 2003, NASA scientist Geoffrey A. Landis released a study titled “Colonization of Venus,” where he indicated how cities could be built above Venus’ upper cloud layer temperatures would be tolerable for human beings and the atmospheric density would allow the cities to remain afloat These cities could act as solar shields and processing stations while providing initial living space for colonists as Venus’ atmosphere grew less dense the cities would migrate to the surface and become part of the landscape Another suggestion is to speed up Venus’ rotation which could have the added benefit of generating a planetary magnetic field like striking Venus’ surface with large asteroids or using mass drivers or dynamic compression members to impart transfer energy and momentum to the surface This would allow for the creation of an Earth-like diurnal cycle and could also help remove some of Venus’ dense atmosphere mass drivers or space elevators could scoop clouds from Venus’ atmosphere and eject them into space The end result of this would be a Venus very much like its former self This would mean a planet covered predominantly by oceans Due to the nature of Venus’ geological features and small variations in elevation the surface would essentially be a giant archipelago with a few larger continents a continent in the Northern Hemisphere roughly between Australi and the continental United States in size It is here that the highest point on Venus This behemoth mountain stands 36,000 ft (11,000 m) tall — taller than Mt Everest (29,000 ft; 8,850 m) — and measures almost 500 mi (800 km) in diameter would be covered in oceans ranging in depth from 30 ft (10 m) to about 1000 ft (300 m) Think of the Caribbean, Polynesia, and the Greek Isles, but on a planet-wide level! To get a better idea of what this would look like, check out this cool map And — as mentioned earlier — the planet would have a surface gravity pretty close to that of Earth This would make adapting to the new world all the more pleasant humans could introduce terrestrial organisms like plants this could lead to an explosion of life and the development of a tropical planet with biodiverse jungles on the larger landmasses and more coastline than you can shake a stick at You may have already figured out what the downside of all of this is If you guessed that it would take a massive effort to transform Venus and it would be very challenging to create a settlement there in the meantime While Venus could be terraformed to become what it once was and resources would be nothing short of herculean Elon Musk once summarized the challenge of creating a self-sustaining city on Mars using a real-estate metaphor. In a 2012 interview with CBS This Morning he said that: “You need to live in a dome initially but over time you could terraform Mars to look like Earth and eventually walk around outside without anything on… So it’s a fixer-upper of a planet.” If we were to view Mars as a future prospect “fixer-upper” would certainly be an apt description If we want to live there someday in large numbers we are likely to have to alter the environment there are long-term challenges that we may never be able to solve (i.e. Mars is also “move-in ready,” which is to say that cities with a few hundred inhabitants could be established there in the near future these settlers could gradually transform the Martian environment making it suitable for more and more inhabitants there could be solutions to all of its hazards Venus is a “tear-down and rebuild” with some serious asbestos issues We know the plot could be turned into a wonderful home But we’re talking about a huge commitment in terms of money and time before that can happen the best we can do is move a few people into the existing structure’s anteroom if we’re willing to think in terms of the long-run and assume that humanity does have an “interplanetary” future there’s no reason to assume we can’t eventually make Mars AND Venus second homes for humanity we can purchase the fixer-upper next door and gradually get it to the point that it’s fully furnished Then we can devote our attention and our efforts to the tear-down lot on the other side of us and refurbish it into a third lovely home for ourselves and our children we can rest assured that if any one of the houses burns down Disclaimer: A previous version of this article stated that the sci-fi short “The Long Rain” was authored by Olaf Stapledon when it should have been Ray Bradbury 0COMMENTABOUT THE AUTHORMatthew S. Williams Matthew S Williams is an author and the curator of their Guide to Space section His works include sci-fi/mystery The Cronian Incident and his articles have been featured in Phys.org with topics ranging from astronomy and Earth sciences to technological innovation and environmental issues He is also a former educator and a 5th degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do instructor He lives on Vancouver Island with his wife and family By clicking sign up, you confirm that you accept this site's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Premium Elon Musk. Bill Nye says the idea of Mars colonization and terraforming – making a planet more Earth-like by modifying its atmosphere – is "science fiction." are you guys high?" Nye said in an interview with USA TODAY. "We can't even take care of this planet where we live and the reason they disagree is because they're wrong," he quipped. The famous science educator and CEO of The Planetary Society appears on National Geographic Channel's series "MARS." While the series explores human beings living on the Red Planet and even mining it where scientists are stationed even during the harsh winter months but no one lives permanently "Nobody goes to Antarctica to raise a family "Nobody's gonna go settle on Mars to raise a family and have generations of Martians," Nye said then putting on a spacesuit to go outside will get tiring – fast and I think that will get old pretty quick," he said "Especially the smell in the spacesuit – all the Febreze you can pack I think it will really help you up there." But Nye is still in favor of astronauts traveling to the Red Planet. More: I trained to be an astronaut on a mission to Mars at Space Camp. Here's what it's like. Related: How to become an astronaut: Tales from Mae Jemison and Leland Melvin about training for space Also: On Mars, overflowing lakes carved out canyons in just weeks "I want to find evidence of life on another world in my lifetime so Mars in the next logical place to look," he said and that's why we go and explore the unknown horizon." The reason the Red Planet captivates us so much is because it's like Earth in a variety of ways While it's quite a bit smaller and has lower gravity seasons and days just like here on Earth. But sending astronauts has a very practical purpose: What our best rovers on the planet can do in a week "We would send people there to make discoveries Particularly amazing would be to find life on the Red Planet "If we were to find evidence of life on Mars ... it would change the course of human history," he said "Everybody would feel differently about being a living thing in the cosmos." own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment Australian National University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU View all partners and now Boeing are all looking towards the red planet with heady predictions of missions during the 2020s And could we even survive any long-term colonisation on Mars Given the problems we face here on Earth it’s important to ask whether we should be better tasked with looking after the only planet we know (so far) that can harbour life Boeing says it wants to be involved in the first mission to send humans to the red planet The company’s chief executive Dennis Muilenburg told a US TV host in December 2017: I firmly believe the first person that sets foot on Mars will get there on a Boeing rocket A key rival is Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, which is already launching rockets. At the 68th Annual International Aeronautics Congress, in Adelaide in September 2017, Musk spoke of airline-like connections between Earth and Mars Lockheed Martin says it plans to send humans to Mars in the next decade Even the famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has argued that it is “essential that we colonise space” although he doesn’t see it happening that soon: I believe that we will eventually establish self-sustaining colonies on Mars and other bodies in the Solar system although probably not within the next 100 years Scientific exploration of Solar system planets constitutes one of the most exciting achievements the human race is realising Microbial life may exist on Mars or may have existed in the past. According to NASA: one stands out above all others: the possible presence of liquid water either in its ancient past or preserved in the subsurface today Water is key because almost everywhere we find water on Earth it’s compelling to ask whether any microscopic life forms could have developed on its surface But doubts have been raised recently with regard to the distinction between water and sand flow on Mars At present there is no evidence of a liveable atmosphere under which plants or other organisms would survive on Mars Its thin atmosphere is less than 1% of Earth’s 1.9% argon and trace amounts of oxygen and carbon monoxide It provides little protection from the Sun’s radiation nor does it allow retention of heat at the surface Suggestions as to whether biological-like textures in a Martian meteorite (ALH84001) signify ancient fossils have not been confirmed In July 2017 researchers reported that the surface of Mars may be more toxic to microorganisms than previously thought There is no lack of warnings regarding the colonisation of Mars If a colony was established it would take continuous efforts and major expense to keep it supplied the long-term isolation of the colonists may take its toll When the Mars One project announced in 2013 that it was looking to recruit four people to send on a mission to colonise Mars, Chris Chambers, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at Cardiff University, warned of the psychological risks the colonists would face Yet dreams stay alive. According to NASA’s mission statement: Even if Mars is devoid of past or present life there’s still much excitement on the horizon should humans choose to travel there one day Space colonisation dreams are not entirely devoid of economic interests. The international space industry is said to be worth in the order of some US$400 billion a year, and predicted to grow to nearly US$3 trillion over the next three decades Space travel and colonisation ideas are mostly promoted by engineers and entrepreneurs who stand to gain from these schemes but far less so by biologists and medical scientists who understand the terrestrial origin and physiological limitations of the human body given modern and future computer and space technologies space stations could be constructed on Mars where a few privileged humans may be able to live for periods of time Should humans colonise a life-bearing planet, we should ask whether organisms would fare any better than species extinguished on Earth The ethical polarity between those dreaming of conquering space and those hoping to defend Earth from global heating and a nuclear calamity could not be greater The billions and trillions of dollars required to develop and maintain colonies in space could approach the estimated US$1.69 trillion military spending globally in 2016 As a scientist who examines how a changing climate influences human evolution, I argue that funds on this scale would be better directed at the defence of the lives of more than 7 billion humans on Earth as well as protection of animals and of nature more broadly This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times "You mean to tell me that Elon Musk is not alien?” Memphis rapper NLE Choppa thinks there’s more to Elon Musk than meets the eye claiming the philanthropist might be an alien the ‘Shotta Flow’ hitmaker discussed the Tesla founder’s SpaceX company and his plans to take people to Mars “Look bro, you mean to tell me that Elon Musk is not alien?” NLE Choppa asked Bootleg Kev on his podcast According to reports, SpaceX has built and tested a stainless-steel vehicle that will eventually take people and cargo to Mars as well as the moon without the machine cracking up in Space. NLE Choppa continued: “Bruh, if a n***a come to my face and say, ‘Hey man, let’s move to Mars! Let’s move to Mars! Let’s move to Mars!’ His ass done been there, his ass done lived there before. “First off, they say it’s hot as hell there, so we ain’t gon’ be thinkin’ about going there. Motherfucker going to come, ‘Let’s go to Mars.’ The fuck? You been there before or somethin’. Boy, hell naw.” Also touching upon Musk’s recent unveiling of a pig with a computer chip in its brain to demonstrate his ambitious plans to create a working brain-to-machine interface, the rapper added: “You not gon’ put shit in my brain.” Hit the link in my bio & run it up! Had a hilarious but deep convo with the young homie! And yes, if anyone is an 👽 on earth it’s that boy #ElonMusk! 😂😂😂😂 A post shared by Bootleg Kev (@bootlegkev) on Aug 24 The ‘Walk Em Down’ rapper also said he won’t be driving a Tesla anytime soon because he feels that Musk is probably monitoring drivers in the cars “That shit kinda police,” he said referring to the state-of-the-art technology that comes equipped in the popular electric vehicles Earlier this year, Elon Musk and Grimes welcomed their first child together. Musk has since claimed that there’s “not much [he] can do” in terms of looking after his two-month-old son, X Æ A-Xii Speaking to The New York Times, Musk said that babies “are just eating and pooping machines” and that Grimes – whose real name is Claire Boucher – is taking on much more responsibility at present. “Grimes has a much bigger role than me right now,” he admitted. “When the kid gets older, there will be more of a role for me.” The world’s defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking what’s new and what’s next since 1952. 2 ContributorsLet Them Kill Me Lyrics[Chorus]I won’t let them kill meBut I can’t let it outI’ll make them fear meOh-oh-oh oh-ohSpread black ashes on the groundSpeak the sacred writ aloudI won’t let them kill meOh-oh-oh that’s my missionTwenty thousand people witness to my visionI was just counting the timeKeeping one hand on the skyI'mma stare into the sunsetStare at it 'til I go blindI don’t want to lose it all againIf I lose it all it’d freeze and crush me into rubbleWrap my body in the sacrilegeSacred crosses spin about me as I tumble (Pathetic)[Chorus]I won’t let them kill meBut-but-but I can’t let it outI’ll make them fear meOh-oh-oh oh-ohSpread black ashes on the groundSpeak the sacred writ aloudBut-but-but-but I won’t let them kill meOh-oh-oh oh-ohYou might also likeEmbedCancelHow to Format Lyrics: To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning