Living on Mars

[Richard]

Toxic Mars dust could hamper planned human missions

08 May 2013 by Victoria Jaggard, Washington DC
www.newscientist.com/article/dn23505-toxic-mars-dust-could-hamper-planned-human-missions.html

Mars dust is dangerous to human health and could severely hamper proposed missions to send people to the Red Planet. So say space-health and life-support researchers who met this week to mull over the possibility of sending a crewed mission to the Mars by 2030.

Laboratory studies had suggested that Mars dust might be a health hazard because it contains fine-grained silicate minerals, which are common on Mars. If breathed in, the silicate dust would react with water in the lungs to create damaging chemicals.
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As I read this article, 2 thoughts come to mind. the first is the correlation with volcanic ash here on earth. You breath it in. It mixes with moisture and become sandpaper that rips your lungs to shreds. This is well known here on earth.

However, my second thought is confusion as to what they are really saying. Just who plans to breath Mar's air? I thought humans would need space suits and living habitats.

Are they telling us that we wouldn't need space suits or living habitats? Has something leaked out here?

[Dave]

Thanks for the article - and thanks for the post. I see that you are trying to get something started.

The story never says that anyone would be outside breathing martian air. Rather makes the following 2 points.

Even on the moon astronauts carried moon dust back into their space craft - creating a breathable hazard inside the ship. In the short term I understand the articles point. However, in the long term is it humanly impossible to build a clean way to re-enter a ship or habitat? Don't we have clean rooms here on earth? Sterile environments? How about the sterility of an operating room? Even if these areas are not 100% clean and/or sterile - evidently they are clean enough!

The second point is about this dust forming a sticky substance on the outside of space craft that would interfere with their functions.

Oops! You need moisture / water to make this sticky stuff - so evidently there is enough water on Mars to be problematic.

How bad can this problem be - didn't one of our rovers (designed to last only 6 months) last 6 years? Then it died not because of Mars, but because funding for the project was pulled down here on planet earth.

As the media is flooded with private plans to inhabit Mars - NASA/government inspired negativisms arise to discourage their plans - interesting?

Attachments:

[Virginia]

I just read that a private co is asking for applications for a one way trip to Mars. Is our government afraid of what they may find.

As I have said before the Mars Curiosity Rover is just a smoke screen to divert our attention that there is nothing of interest there.

[Richard]

I doubt that this colony thing would ever happen without the support of a multi-national base.

Private companies go bankrupt all the time. Wouldn't it be a bitch to finally get to Mars, only to hear that the company folded and there is not going to be any resupply missions to follow.

The one offer that my have some credibility is the married couple to travel around Mars without lading, and then returning to earth. If this project ever did get off the ground (pun intended) it would be self-sufficient until they returned to earth.

[Dillon]

I think I would go just to get out of here. The grass is always greener on the other side you know.

Wait a minute.

Is there grass on mars?

[Virginia]

There used to be grass and trees. There will be grass and trees after you get there and plant some---that is---if the aliens let you. Perhaps they got tired of mowing the grass.