Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to so what do we DO about it?

Colonize Mars
Gary — (archived)

Mars is your place for one stop shopping against single planet catastrophe.

The snappy come back is: "A GRB would effect Mars as well as Earth!"

True, but secondary cosmic rays are ALWAYS a problem on Mars. Mars habitats must be designed to shield against radiation from space and are not dependent upon a healthy atmosphere. That's the big weakness with living on Earth: Mother Earth is too nurturing and comfortable. On Earth, it's not cost effective to shield against GRBs, long period comets, newly discovered asteroids, name your favorite disaster. On Mars, the planet itself is always trying to kill you so you have to design your habitat to protect against the harshness of nature. It's a bit like being a self reliant adult versus a young child under a parent's guardianship. It's great being a child if the parents are around providing care and feeding but heaven help the poor child who is lost and alone in the woods.

Gary

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