Now this may sound a little weird but i have an idea....

I have often wondered what it would take to set up a colony on an alien world. But I am a humble salesman, and have little or no knoweledge of what would be required or involved to colonize let's say mars.
I have been a lurker at this site long enough to know that many of you have knowelege in areas that would be useful in colonizing mars, so let's build a model martian colony.
I am declaring myself king (because it was my idea) now I need ministers and scientists to get this colony off the ground. any one care to get involoved just propose what we need to create a viable independent colony and keep it going.

Starting topics:

First what do we need to make Mars liveable?

Second how do we get there?

Is terraforming an option?

What types of industry could survive there?

[edit on 9-7-2005 by Lord Vilmur]

Sounds interesting, would be good in collabiterive (sp?!) fiction. Anyway, im in.

To make Mars liveable,

1. We need a government/monarchy that controls the entire planet.

2. Terraforming would take too long, so maybe some artificial environment bubbles? Complete with trees and buildings and everything you would need.

3. Some kind of space port that can accomidate any new shuttles that need to be built to get to Mars from Earth.

4. Defence station on one of the moons, you never know when you would need it.

Bit basic, but hey! Weve only just started.

Oh, and I would like to be in charge of the defence of our newly found colony.

I'll come if I can be the guy that gets payed but doesn't have to work.

I'm not to up to date with Mars, but are we actually able to live on it?

Well, this might be worth watching - so I'll come along as the village idiot!

Not that idiotic that I intend to try breathing the atmosphere though, so please, let's have a living environment first.

Lord V.

You have raised an interesting topic But I think the first question should have been.

1. how do we pay for it?

2. who pays for it?

3. will it be worth the outlay?

i'll come if i can help "improve" the population
and why stop at mars we could populate more and more planets the more our species becomes diverse with years of evolution and then we could even interbreed with all the different type of human races to create one very versitle species

[edit on 9-7-2005 by klain]

Since there is water on mars it makes things a bit easier. Geothermal energy couldbe harnessed to create needed oxygen and water.

Tho for the first colonist they would eaither have to dig in subterranian colonies, or pressure domes. Food then becomes a limited. A type of vat colony mght work there.

with current technology terraforming mars would be a long slow process taking centuries. If you did a search in this forum you would find some ideas.

As allways I suggest Kim Stanley Robinsons "Red Mars" series of Sci-fi books

Originally posted by klain
we could even interbreed with all the different type of human races to create one very versitle species
[edit on 9-7-2005 by klain]

Er, you can do that. I'll uh, I'll watch TV.

hmm, very interesting hypothetical situation LV, i purpose we have an International Fleet system much like that of the Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game series. i've always fancied that idea.

and welcome to ATS, by the way.

If we travelled to mars, how high would we be able to jump? I'm aware the gravity is less intense as it is on Earth. I also would like to think your guys' theories on the growth of human beings living in less gravity. Would we be able to grow taller because of the less intense gravity pulling our growth down? Or would we become small and skinny from the less amount of muscle usage we use?

As king, will you lend a hand and send troops to the Iraqi front in a coallition effort with the UK and US? What is your current stance on the war on terror? Do you believe the Chinese are guilty of inflating their growth rate and the overall value of their economy?

If you cannot or have a hard time answering these questions, I would love to be your Head of War Department or Main Go-to PR Guy.

Do you feel it would be economical to transport excess water here on earth caused by global warming to Mars to aid in any colonization effort?

Hey people I found this link about proposed living establishments on Mars

aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov...

So we have a starting point for living structures.

I have a few announcements to make as well:

I am appointing Zanzibar as our Minister of Defense.
Nventual you will be our Ambassador to......uh Pluto, yeah thats it Pluto.
Jehosephat...would you be interested in being the Minister of Agriculture?

As for some ideas I have mulled about:
Funding and economic health have to be considered (right after how do we breathe and eat). I think tourism would be a MAJOR source of income, also there must be some item which would be easier to mine/create or whatever on Mars than on Earth.

For the moment thats all I have, tomorow I hope to post the goverenmental construct.

Originally posted by Frosty
As king, will you lend a hand and send troops to the Iraqi front in a coallition effort with the UK and US? What is your current stance on the war on terror? Do you believe the Chinese are guilty of inflating their growth rate and the overall value of their economy?

If you cannot or have a hard time answering these questions, I would love to be your Head of War Department or Main Go-to PR Guy.

Do you feel it would be economical to transport excess water here on earth caused by global warming to Mars to aid in any colonization effort?

Well tell me what you feel our involvement in Earth matters should be, I will tell you if you reflect my thoughts.

Originally posted by PizzaCrust
If we travelled to mars, how high would we be able to jump? I'm aware the gravity is less intense as it is on Earth. I also would like to think your guys' theories on the growth of human beings living in less gravity. Would we be able to grow taller because of the less intense gravity pulling our growth down? Or would we become small and skinny from the less amount of muscle usage we use?

Martian gravity is 1/3 of earths. Not sure of the implications here but take it for what its worth.

well with all those criminals facing death penalties why not ship em off to Mars with whatever basic survival supplies are fit for this trip.

The funding can come from the same funds that pay to house and feed these criminals.

If its a fail mission it shouldn't matter since the money was spent with a possible benifitual cause for humanity.

These Individuals will be force to find a way to survive on Mars, since if they suceed they live and the question wheater man can survive on Mars will be finally answered!!!!

Now I am not being rude but in deathrow there is no turning back. I say send em off and lets see what happens...Besides wasn't it England that send off their criminals whom in this founded the United States???



[edit on 10-7-2005 by 2ndSEED]

.
You would need oxygen/air to breathe.
Water is next and some way of recycling it.
Since at this point importing food on an ongoing basis to sustain people there you would need some method of creating food.

Since there is no magnetic field [for now] it is pointless to put an atmosphere on it [terraform it] because solar winds will simply gradually blow it off, making a huge expenditure ultimately fruitless. If at some point you could recreate or synthesize a magnetic [or other type] field then terraforming seems like a possibility.

So you would need to live either under domes, in enclosures or in caverns.

Oxygen would have to be recycled. Could be done using chemical, mechanical or bacteria/biology to do this.

Currently some cities are able to recycle sewage water back into potable water in some US desert cities, so is already feasible here and should be adaptable for other places.

As i have mentioned before, i think eventually food production will become an industrialized process, either using chemical vats, bacteria or some kind of circuit boarded enzymes. While growing plants works well here on Earth, there is an awfully lot of overhead involved. Since we now pretty well know the organic chemistries that sustain life there is little need [beyond luxury] to go through such an involved process to create them.

As far as governments go, the Wild west had no governments so that is totally unnecessary at first, until populations become sizable.

If you can create a place that is resonably livable [mostly self-sustaining] my guess is that industry will make its way there as a sort of natural order of things. People usually engage in industry to improve their lives [both entrepreners and workers].

One reason people might go there is because conditions here on Earth become so deplorable or lacking in opportunities. On the other hand if some great institutions or life opportunities develop there then that would tend to draw people there as more than just an escape.

Actually prisons, as other people have mentioned are a possibility. Australia originally started as an English penal colony.
Sort of an excuse, for initial colonization. But shipping prisoners there would be quite expensive unless cheaper methods of moving people in and out of orbit/space are found.

Also the Moon is a lot closer and might be favored as a prison site.
.

Originally posted by Nventual

Originally posted by klain
we could even interbreed with all the different type of human races to create one very versitle species
[edit on 9-7-2005 by klain]

Er, you can do that. I'll uh, I'll watch TV.

lol you know what i meant

Does this project have a budget? And is 'accidently' spraying the citizens with harmful chemicals allowed? Only joking.

As Defence minister, all people entering Mars airspace will first have to book in at Phobos, a full security check will be carried out as well. No dirty terrorists on Mars.

Oops - that counts me out!

Originally posted by Trevor
Oops - that counts me out!

What? Youve got me all confused!!!!! My head hurts!!