The search for life on other planets is in some way the "Holy Grail" of modern science. At least, if we talk about astronomy and cosmology, then the efforts of most scientists here to one degree or another are reduced precisely to finding other inhabited corners of our Universe. And although this has not yet been done, the best minds from all over the world have long been trying to find signs of at least the most primitive life, which certainly exists somewhere else besides our home planet.
But instead of looking for life on other planets, some researchers suggest taking a different path, namely, to create a habitable planet ourselves. This approach is called "terraforming" and it involves targeted climate change on other planets in order to create conditions acceptable for life on Earth. So far, this concept is more often used in science fiction than in academic science, but after all, no one took Tsiolkovsky's space rockets seriously some 100 years ago either.
Life on other planets: colonization
Several celestial bodies are considered as potential objects for terraforming and dispersal of terrestrial life to other planets. The most suitable ones are:
- Mars
- Moon
- Venus
- Titan (moon of Saturn)
- satellites of other giant planets
When it comes to terraforming and transferring life to other planets, Earth's closest neighbors are mentioned most often. Mars is traditionally considered as an object for future colonization, the terraforming of which has long been discussed not only in science fiction literature, but also in serious scientific circles. There are several approaches that can be used to create Earth-like conditions on Mars. Most of them are based on trying to create conditions for the greenhouse effect on Mars that can raise the average temperature on this planet and melt ice caps.
Some futurists propose to use huge space mirrors to increase the temperature on Mars, with the help of which it would be possible to redirect light from the Sun and concentrate it in the region of ice caps. In combination with artificial means of generating greenhouse gases (for example, a network of industrial plants that emit CO2), this would allow for several hundred years to raise the average annual temperature on Mars to such a level at which water at the planet's equator would be in a liquid state. Some even suggest organizing the bombardment of Mars with ice asteroids, which would raise enough dust into the planet's atmosphere and allow Mars itself to saturate with additional water.
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Atmosphere of Mars and Venus: Livability
The main problem in terraforming Mars is not so much the absence of an atmosphere there as the absence of a magnetic field. It is the main protector of our planet from the solar wind and deadly cosmic rays, and without a magnetic field, any attempt to populate the surface of Mars is doomed to failure. Even if scientists come up with a way to melt the ice caps of Mars or create a greenhouse effect there, this newly created atmosphere will immediately be blown into space, making the planet lifeless again.
For the same reason, Venus, which was once considered the twin of the Earth, is poorly suitable for terraforming. It is indeed very similar in size to our planet and is even located at the forefront of the habitable zone. But due to the unimaginably powerful greenhouse effect, the average temperature on Venus's surface is 467 ° C, which is higher than the melting point of some metals. Therefore, in order for earthly life on Venus to survive, it must not be heated, like Mars, but cooled. For this, not mirrors could be installed between the Sun and the planet, but special screens that prevent sunlight from reaching Venus. Such "umbrellas" over time could significantly reduce the temperature of this planet, after which its surface would have to begin to bombard with ice asteroids to deliver the required amount of water there.
Of all the planets in the solar system, there is one on which the atmosphere is almost the same as on Earth. It is the largest moon of Saturn - Titan, which has its own nitrogen atmosphere and a surface on which methane rivers flow. Scientists believe that Titan's atmosphere is almost the same as that of the Earth in the early stages of its formation, while it also contains not only hydrocarbons, but also oxygen in small quantities. The dense atmosphere of Titan largely blocks the penetration of cosmic radiation, and it is believed that already now a person could be there, wearing a lightweight thermal insulating spacesuit.
But in order to colonize Titan or other satellites of the giant planets, work will also need to be done to raise their average temperature. Orbital mirrors, which must be placed in different parts of the solar system and directed to the necessary planets, may again become most suitable for this. Of course, while the construction of such mirrors is still a fantasy, but it is possible that in a couple of hundred years mankind will switch its attention from bombs and tanks to the peaceful exploration of near and deep space.
Alexey Shilov
