At first glance, Mars seems to be a poor candidate for a new world for
humanity as well. Its thin atmosphere is almost entirely made up of carbon
dioxide. The average surface temperature of Mars is about minus 81 degrees
Fahrenheit, with extremes ranging from plus 75 degrees to minus 100 degrees.
There are some characteristics of Mars that make it more Earth-like. It’s
rotational rate is almost exactly that of Earth’s, just over twenty four hours.
It has a axial tilt of 24 degrees as opposed to that of Earth at 23.5 degrees.
While Mars has one third the gravity of Earth and is half again as far from the
sun as Earth, it is close enough to experience seasons.
What’s more, Mars has all the elements that are necessary for sustaining
life. There is water in the form of ice at the poles and perhaps, according to
the findings of NASA probes, underground. The carbon dioxide atmosphere
contains both carbon and oxygen. There is also a small amount of nitrogen in
the Martian atmosphere.
Based on the discoveries of probes like Spirit and Opportunity,
scientists have concluded that Mars was more Earth-like billions of years ago.
There was almost certainly a thicker, more oxygen rich atmosphere. There was
running water in the form of rivers and even small oceans. There might even
have been life of some sort, though signs of that have yet to have been
uncovered.
Given these facts, Mars becomes a prime candidate for transformation into a
smaller, sister of Earth. It would be the most challenging project in human
history, taking several decades or several millennia, depending on whom one
asks.