Massive quantities of ice crystals on Mars

[Eugen Leitl]

On Tue, 28 May 2002, Jim Whitehead wrote:

> Longer term, it implies that colonies on Mars are feasible. Many

Why on Mars, for god's sake? You've got at least several MT of water
(okay, bound in alumosilicates) on the Moon in the permanently shadowed
polar cryotraps (conveniently located right beneath permanently insolated
terrain), and the "atmosphere" is about as dense, but is not actually in
the way, when you try to launch (linear mass drivers, of course). Plus,
escape velocity is *way* lower.  Plus, better insolation. Plus, two days
of travel away, suitable for rescue missions about two lightseconds of
teleoperation latency.

> technologies need to be developed before this can happen:
> 
> * low cost launch facilities (reduce cost/kilogram of getting to earth
> orbit)

Much less problematic with the Moon. Especially, if you send a robotic
factory first, and a closed loop ecology seed.

> * DNA repair (lots of radiation on the Martian surface)

Forget surface, it's the half year in transit that's going to cook your 
goose. And of couse you don't live on the surface, you live underground.

> * sophisticated construction robots

How nice that the Moon is close enough for teleoperation, the two second 
lag augmented by built-in reflexes.
 
> Still, for most FoRKs, it is likely that you will see humans visiting Mars
> in your lifetime (though they may not be American -- what an enormous coup
> it would be for the Chinese to get there first).

Mars, Mars, marsMarsMARSMARSmarsMarsMaRsMArsMARsmarsMarsmars. Jesus. How 
about some lunatics, for a change?