It took only a few decades after the first person to set foot on the planet, and in fractures of the Labyrinth of Night, where in the morning going to the cloud of water vapor, it is already possible to breathe. And this is only the beginning: every day people seeded Mars special algae to produce oxygen with the aid of photosynthesis, as well as preparing to raise the temperature of the planet.
This is not science fiction, but the modeling of the private company SpaceX, which is going to start the colonization of the Red Planet. While states are only thinking about how to send a man there, a business already counts how much will cost to settle Mars.
In late August, a few American companies are talking about their readiness to invest in the development of the Red Planet at least $ 10 billion and by 2020 there managed to run mission
The first large colony on Mars is likely to be private. In late August, several American companies are talking about their readiness to invest in the exploration of the Red Planet at least $ 10 billion and by 2020 there managed to run the mission.
The idea that a person still need to fly to the planet, again becoming popular. Especially after the company SpaceX has conducted new tests his rocket ship and docked next to the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX now want to be able to build on the intermediate orbit refueling module, and to develop a heavy launch vehicle capable to send a man to another planet.
At the same time NASA scientists revealed the results of research on how quickly and for how much money can be created on Mars acceptable living conditions.
"It was not as difficult as we thought. Maximum temperature difference on Mars - from -5 to -87 degrees Celsius. A day in the tropics, the air warms up to 20 degrees, "- said Eric Stern of NASA.
According to the expert, talk about full colonization of the planet is still early, but the plans of the first settlements already possible and necessary. All the more so for the right to be the first on Mars has already begun competition. China and India have stated that also consider establishing a database and there are going to send a person back to 2030.
This prompted the action, and Washington. A few years ago, the White House announced that the space should explore robots and unmanned station, now the Americans want to first send to Mars people. However, this time nothing like the "moon race" of the Cold War is not expected. Major in these competitions will not state, and private companies that have already started to develop plans for colonization.
Most of the Martian deserts and plateaus covered, over which winds are. Compared with the Earth planet receives less than half the solar heat because of the distance from the Sun. This leads to the fact that liquid water on the surface until they found, although scientists at NASA and suggest that in the equatorial regions still have rivers and lakes. But most of the water out there - the ice in the polar caps.
The main compound in the Martian atmosphere - carbon dioxide: it is 12 times greater than on Earth. Therefore it's not possible to breathe, but scientists believe that special plant could start the process fotozinteza and make the atmosphere breathable.
In NASA conducted tests on several plant species are able to survive at low gravity and without UV protection. These plants are created through genetic manipulation in 2013 from seaweed. Now they can produce oxygen at temperatures below -40 0C.
In addition, in the first stage of colonization, scientists plan to use MOXIE -special generators transform carbon dioxide into oxygen. Such a device plans to equip the first ships that fly to the planet. In the hour of MOXIE can produce 22 g of oxygen.
The agency believes that the first base will need to build in the area of Valles Marineris, which has the most favorable conditions. When Mars comes close to the Sun, there is even the clouds are formed from carbon dioxide. In this case, the construction of the first station, according to Stern, you will need no more than $ 15 billion, because they do not have to compensate for the enormous pressure, or the force of gravity is very low, as on other planets. The main thing to start.
In the early 2000s, no one in doubt that the first on the Red Planet will be Americans: Washington made no secret of its ambitions to send there a man in 2015. But after a few years, with the onset of the economic crisis, the situation has changed. Budget for Space Studies was cut by 10% initially, and then another 25%. After that, President Barack Obama said it is too early to think about the study of the distant space - you need to focus on the development of the Earth's orbit.
Even the idea of a lunar base was frozen. Moreover, the budget of the ISS, 70% consisting of American subsidies, been called into question. In 2010, the station even offered to leave and flood, if it is not enough money. Savings and touched the Mars mission, which was to go to the Red Planet in 2014, but it was canceled: spend $ 1.5 billion on one flight was "unfashionable."
Things began to change a few years ago, and the main reasons for this are two.
Firstly, the Chinese have successfully created their station in orbit and began to talk about what you need to build a base on the Moon. Even though China's space budget is ten times smaller than America's $ 7 billion, it was dangerous for the prestige of America news.
"China is not interested deep space and our universe. He cares about his own image and the next planet on it and he spends money, "- says Lucia Lenares, head of space launch of the European Space Agency.
Second, the results of the space probe Cassini Saturn and European research station Rosetta comet aroused interest in science and the general public. Finally, the Western countries, especially the United States, whose economy is gradually recovering, can spend more money on space.
Now in Washington want to use private initiative for the colonization of Mars. The more that companies like SpaceX or BlueOrigin, ready themselves to invest in these projects, to show investors the reliability of its missiles.
Thus, by 2020, with a high probability of the same people will reach Mars and gradually begin to master it. After all, to make the red planet habitable is not as difficult as it seemed until recently.
