Terraforming other planets.

[Jimlaad43]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming

Is it a possibiltiy, is it worth it, when can we start.
Discuss.

Terraforming wiki
http://terraforming.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

 

[PeterJB]

We could probably start quite soon, though I doubt any of us would live to see the process completed. Mars would involve transporting some kind of fungi over there that would convert the CO2 in Oxygen. It would take an incredibly long time for the entire atmosphere to change, and it probably wouldn't affect the density either, which is too low. That CO2 is needed to trap heat from the sun, without it Mars would probably be much colder. The Martian soil doesn't appear to be particularly fertile, so plant life would have to be transported from Earth, but it would still be too cold.

Venus would be far more complex. That would involve depleting the atmosphere to allow the surface to cool, possibly with some kind of enormous heat shield in space, but that would be unthinkably complex and expensive, and the proximity to the sun would gradually increase the temperatures again. Unless of course we just built some kind of 'floating city' 40 km above the surface where the temperature and pressure are pretty earth-like. Only problem then is the clouds of sulphur dioxide. Mercury is too hot, has no atmosphere, and everything in the outer solar system is too cold.

It could be attempted, but it probably take a long time for it work, and at this point, we don't really to.

 

[Jimlaad43]

It could be attempted, but it probably take a long time for it work, and at this point, we don't really to.

Yeah, we haven't even got there. And anyway, solar radiation cannot be stopped as readily by Mars' lack of a magnetosphere or an ozone layer.
I had found a website last year that had pictures of most rocky planets/moons as how they would look terraformed, but I cannot find it now.

 

[Danoff]

Right now our solar system is a geological preserve that enables us to study the formation of our solar system, the development of planets, and look for independent life. We could introduce organisms and chemicals into these systems (like Mars), in an attempt to create a habitable place for us, but in the process we would eradicate our ability to study Mars free from the biological and chemical products of Earth.

Maybe one day we'll make that decision, but I think we're hundreds of years away still.

 

[1241Penguin]

I do have three concerns regarding this:

A) It's going to take a very long time. I.E. we probably won't see it in our lifetimes.

B) I'm wondering how the gravitational differences will affect those living on those planets.

C) Even if we do manage to create a new habitable planet, people are just going to take it's resources for granted as we always have here on Earth. People will become more spoiled.

 

[wfooshee]

We can't even come up with the money to get back to the moon. How the bleep are we gonna terraform a planet??!!?!?!

You say, "Not now, but in the future!!!!" I say, who's gonna pay for it? How the heck is the human race going to start an engineering project on a centuries scale, when governments last a fraction of that time? It runs five years, common folk see no results, funding gets pulled.

You saw it here first.

 

[Danoff]

We can't even come up with the money to get back to the moon. How the bleep are we gonna terraform a planet??!!?!?!

Keep in mind that 100 years ago getting back to the moon would have seemed ridiculous given that it implied that we'd been there to begin with.

Also, we can terraform without ever sending a human being to the planet. We have robotics on their way to Mars at this very moment. Want to launch some bacteria to Mars to start making an atmosphere? We can do that right now no problem for a drop in the bucket compared to the national budget.

Instead, spacecraft that get sent to Mars go through extreme procedures to ensure that we don't contaminate Mars - which is currently a big quarantined science laboratory - with any kind of contaminate that might be piggy-backing on the robotics we send there.

Before we start changing the planets, we're going to explore them thoroughly... and that's going to take a long time and a lot of technology.

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

It will be possible, but after this planet goes through some dramatic changes first. We would almost have to be at a Star Trek level of equality and work at it with pooled financial and intellectual resourses. There's always a chance that some mega-company could afford it in the future, but IMO we need to start working for humankind first before corporate greed gets us there.

 

[Dapper]

It will be possible, but after this planet goes through some dramatic changes first. We would almost have to be at a Star Trek level of equality and work at it with pooled financial and intellectual resourses. There's always a chance that some mega-company could afford it in the future, but IMO we need to start working for humankind first before corporate greed gets us there.

We are there now (working for humankind, not space exploration), even with help from large corporations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs1Zw-HTtrc&feature=player_embedded#!
http://singularityu.org/

 

[CSLACR]

Incredibly awesome concept.
Not convinced it's even possible. So much that I'll wait to read the "how to" portion for another 30 years, I'm not sure we'll have what we have now on earth then to still be considering it.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I saw something about this on TV a long time ago. Basically sending machines to the planet to filter the air and/or release the stuff needed to make the atmosphere livable. Maybe it was a show about Mars.

In any case, I would support the idea.

 

[Keef]

Good thing you don't live here or you would probably vote for Newt Gingrich. He wants to start mining the moon.

 

[TankAss95]

Moons would be cooler.

The whole of GTPlanet should fly to Deimos and have a party. 👍
Either that or we should go to Nereid. That thing is on drugs. Have you seen the orbit of the thing?

 

[PeterJB]

Moons would be cooler.

The whole of GTPlanet should fly to Deimos and have a party. 👍
Either that or we should go to Nereid. That thing is on drugs. Have you seen the orbit of the thing?

I'm more impressed by Neso's orbit. It's further away from Neptune then Mercury is from the Sun!

 

[TankAss95]

I'm more impressed by Neso's orbit. It's further away from Neptune then Mercury is from the Sun!

Do you know if there is a picture showing the orbit of Neso around Saturn? By the way sorry for going off topic, guys.

 

[PeterJB]

I doubt their is one. If somebody made on then the rings would barely be visible.

 

[Slash]

It would be interesting. That's for sure.

 

[PeterJB]

Do you know if there is a picture showing the orbit of Neso around Saturn? By the way sorry for going off topic, guys.

According to Celestia, with Neso's orbit filling the screen with a field of view of 25 degrees 46' 54.9", Neptune appears 1.2342 AU away with a diameter of 55.33", while Saturn would be 02' 14.6". If Neso orbited Saturn then Saturn would appear roughly one quarter of the size of the moon, Neptune appears about half of that size.

 

[Jubby]

We could probably start quite soon, though I doubt any of us would live to see the process completed. Mars would involve transporting some kind of fungi over there that would convert the CO2 in Oxygen. It would take an incredibly long time for the entire atmosphere to change, and it probably wouldn't affect the density either, which is too low. That CO2 is needed to trap heat from the sun, without it Mars would probably be much colder. The Martian soil doesn't appear to be particularly fertile, so plant life would have to be transported from Earth, but it would still be too cold.
It could be attempted, but it probably take a long time for it work, and at this point, we don't really to.

I don't think Mars is possible for humans as the lack of a magnetosphere wouldn't allow enough of an atmosphere to form to live on along with radiation levels. As I've read, it'd take about 1000 years for a good volume of plant life. A good time frame, but if the goal is for human life, I don't think it'll work. I don't know anyone that would really want to live in a place like Antarctica, since the temperature could be increased up to -20C.

 

[PeterJB]

I don't think Mars is possible for humans as the lack of a magnetosphere wouldn't allow enough of an atmosphere to form to live on along with radiation levels. As I've read, it'd take about 1000 years for a good volume of plant life. A good time frame, but if the goal is for human life, I don't think it'll work. I don't know anyone that would really want to live in a place like Antarctica, since the temperature could be increased up to -20C.

Even with all it's problems, Mars is still the most practical location for an endeavour like this. Shows just how unlikely that this thing will ever work.

 

[Jubby]

Even with all it's problems, Mars is still the most practical location for an endeavour like this. Shows just how unlikely that this thing will ever work.

So true. It's probably as likely and probable that we'll find another planet with similar properties and develop a way to transport to it for future generations.

 

[TheCracker]

We can't even come up with the money to get back to the moon. How the bleep are we gonna terraform a planet??!!?!?!

You say, "Not now, but in the future!!!!" I say, who's gonna pay for it? How the heck is the human race going to start an engineering project on a centuries scale, when governments last a fraction of that time? It runs five years, common folk see no results, funding gets pulled.

You saw it here first.

Terraforming a planet, and therefore creating potential real estate or mining options, could be incredibly lucrative for companies/corporations. That's where your funding comes from.

Have you seen the film Aliens?

 

[Jimlaad43]

Found on this website http://1wyrmshadow1.deviantart.com/gallery/?23692125#/d2qv79g

The list from L to R.
Earth
Venus
Mars
Ganymede
Titan
Mercury
Callisto
Io
Luna
Europa
Triton
Pluto
Titania
Oberon
Iapetus
Rhea
Quaoar
Charon
Umbriel
Ariel
Dione
Tethys
Enceladus
Miranda
Mimas

 

[CodeRedR51]

^^^ Is there a much larger version of that?

Terraforming a planet, and therefore creating potential real estate or mining options, could be incredibly lucrative for companies/corporations. That's where your funding comes from.

Have you seen the film Aliens?

Not to mention, if we need to get off this planet in a hurry, the world will find a way.

 

[Jimlaad43]

^^^ Is there a much larger version of that?

There is a 'Click to Enlarge' button at the top of the picture.

 

[CodeRedR51]

There is a 'Click to Enlarge' button at the top of the picture.

Saw that, I'm talking bigger than that.

Edit: If you go to the link you provided, on the right there is a link to "download image" in a 4984x1400 size. 👍

 

[Grayfox]

Lets not forget that life on earth has evolved to a 24h day/night cycle.

The other planet will not have this.

It may have a 36hour day night cycle.

 

[CodeRedR51]

More time during the day to get stuff done.

 

[PeterJB]

Again Mars wins there. A 24 hour 25 minute orbit. 60 days for Mercury, 225 for Venus, 9 hours 56 minutes for Jupiter, 12 for Saturn, and about 16 for Uranus and Neptune.

 

[Grayfox]

Again Mars wins there. A 24 hour 25 minute orbit. 60 days for Mercury, 225 for Venus, 9 hours 56 minutes for Jupiter, 12 for Saturn, and about 16 for Uranus and Neptune.

That is rotational period, not orbit, its orbital period is 686.5 days which is about 1.85 earth years.