Elon got me thinking...
Elon got me thinking...
If the atmospheric pressure on mars is 0.6% of the atmospheric pressure on earth, would a Martian dust storm be remotely as dangerous as depicted in the Martian?
Re: Elon got me thinking...
No, it was already shown the storm was too weak to tip a rocket.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/th ... ust-storms
https://www.space.com/30663-the-martian ... reeze.html
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/th ... ust-storms
https://www.space.com/30663-the-martian ... reeze.html
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Re: Elon got me thinking...
Cool, your first link answered my second, unasked, question.
I was going to ask if airplanes would even fly on Mars, considering atmospheric pressure is 0.6%.
With only that information, one could assume that wings would need to be like 94% bigger... But gravity is 37% of earth's, so maybe they'd only need to be like 35% bigger (or maybe efficient is a better word).
I was going to ask if airplanes would even fly on Mars, considering atmospheric pressure is 0.6%.
With only that information, one could assume that wings would need to be like 94% bigger... But gravity is 37% of earth's, so maybe they'd only need to be like 35% bigger (or maybe efficient is a better word).
Re: Elon got me thinking...
Just go a lot faster and I'm sure it will be fine 
Re: Elon got me thinking...
Yes, but with less atmospheric pressure, won't you need more thrust to push you forward, too?
You'll require less to maintain a speed, but more to achieve it... I think.
Unless, you start by thrusting against the ground, launching yourself up, then glide down at a faster speed than your drag would allow on Earth.
So, basically, I think reusable ballistic missiles would be more efficient than airplanes on mars.
But the most efficient form of transportation on mars will probably be solar rovers. Have you guys seen NASA's new set of wheels?
You'll require less to maintain a speed, but more to achieve it... I think.
Unless, you start by thrusting against the ground, launching yourself up, then glide down at a faster speed than your drag would allow on Earth.
So, basically, I think reusable ballistic missiles would be more efficient than airplanes on mars.
But the most efficient form of transportation on mars will probably be solar rovers. Have you guys seen NASA's new set of wheels?
Re: Elon got me thinking...
Interesting, but since you brought up a subject about outer space and aliens (aka Martians).....
Two space aliens landed on earth in a farmers field. The farmer and his wife went to investigate. The aliens told them they were here to learn about earth culture. The farmer invited them both inside where they spent hours talking. During one part of their conversation the male alien admitted sheepishly that they thought dogs and cats were the advanced species on Earth since people walk behind them cleaning up their waste. They all laughed but pretty soon everyone got tired.
The male alien said, "On my planet, when visiting, it is customary for us to exchange spouses for the night." After a bit of discussion, everyone agreed. The farmer's wife, upon seeing the male alien naked couldn't hide her disappointment. However, he told her pinch my nose 3 times. So she did and was amazed at the size he attained.
Neither had any sleep that night. Upon going downstairs in the morning the two couples said goodbye and the farmer and his wife went to compare notes. His wife told him it was like a fantasy. The farmer goes, "Yeah it was, but damned if that female alien didn't pinch my nose all night long!"
Two space aliens landed on earth in a farmers field. The farmer and his wife went to investigate. The aliens told them they were here to learn about earth culture. The farmer invited them both inside where they spent hours talking. During one part of their conversation the male alien admitted sheepishly that they thought dogs and cats were the advanced species on Earth since people walk behind them cleaning up their waste. They all laughed but pretty soon everyone got tired.
The male alien said, "On my planet, when visiting, it is customary for us to exchange spouses for the night." After a bit of discussion, everyone agreed. The farmer's wife, upon seeing the male alien naked couldn't hide her disappointment. However, he told her pinch my nose 3 times. So she did and was amazed at the size he attained.
Neither had any sleep that night. Upon going downstairs in the morning the two couples said goodbye and the farmer and his wife went to compare notes. His wife told him it was like a fantasy. The farmer goes, "Yeah it was, but damned if that female alien didn't pinch my nose all night long!"
The gears are grinding again...
I just read that the mass of the Asteroid belt is roughly 4% the size of Earth's Moon's mass.
I remembered an idea for terraforming mars that involved redirecting asteroids from the belt to impact mars, thus increasing it's mass and therefor gravity.
So I decided to do some maths.
The gravity on Mars is currently 37.84% as strong as the gravity on Earth.
After adding the mass of the entire asteroid belt, the gravity on Mars may be as much as 38.5% as strong as the gravity on Earth.
This would hardly be noticeable to Humans who aren't standing on a scale, but would it be enough of a difference to trap an atmosphere on Mars?
Also, a large percentage of the asteroid belt is ice. For the next bit of funny math, lets assume that 100% of the asteroid belt is ice even though it's probably not.
The asteroid belt is 0.05% as massive as Mars.
0.05% of Earth's mass is water.
Does this mean that sending 100% of the asteroid belt to Mars would create oceans like on Earth?
Would the impact of the asteroids on Mars heat up the planet, maybe crack the crust and cause some tectonic movement like on Earth?
I dunno, but it excites me to think of such things. My boner is Elon-gating.
I remembered an idea for terraforming mars that involved redirecting asteroids from the belt to impact mars, thus increasing it's mass and therefor gravity.
So I decided to do some maths.
The gravity on Mars is currently 37.84% as strong as the gravity on Earth.
After adding the mass of the entire asteroid belt, the gravity on Mars may be as much as 38.5% as strong as the gravity on Earth.
This would hardly be noticeable to Humans who aren't standing on a scale, but would it be enough of a difference to trap an atmosphere on Mars?
Also, a large percentage of the asteroid belt is ice. For the next bit of funny math, lets assume that 100% of the asteroid belt is ice even though it's probably not.
The asteroid belt is 0.05% as massive as Mars.
0.05% of Earth's mass is water.
Does this mean that sending 100% of the asteroid belt to Mars would create oceans like on Earth?
Would the impact of the asteroids on Mars heat up the planet, maybe crack the crust and cause some tectonic movement like on Earth?
I dunno, but it excites me to think of such things. My boner is Elon-gating.
Re: Elon got me thinking...
Yes. Elon Musk suggested that on the Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert replied, "You do realize you're an evil villain, right?"
This plan wouldn't work due to Mars' low mass. The nukes wouldn't melt the poles, they'd vaporize them. The explosions would take that ice that we need to become water, turn it into steam, and fling it into space where it would turn back into ice and never return to the surface.
That's almost the exact opposite of what we need to do to terraform Mars.
This plan wouldn't work due to Mars' low mass. The nukes wouldn't melt the poles, they'd vaporize them. The explosions would take that ice that we need to become water, turn it into steam, and fling it into space where it would turn back into ice and never return to the surface.
That's almost the exact opposite of what we need to do to terraform Mars.