Citation:
In the article, “Mars One (and Done)” by Jennifer Chiu the technical feasibility of humans living on Mars in the near future was discussed by the team at MIT. They debated about the “Mars One” project, that announced plans in 2012 to establish a human colony of Mars by 2025. Run by a Dutch non-profit, the mission would send 4 astronauts on a one-way trip to Mars to spend the rest of their lives building the first human settlement on another planet. It seems to be quite the daring mission as the company claims all the technology necessary for its success already exists. According to the company’s website this mission is, “the next giant leap for mankind.” MIT engineers looked into the technology behind it and believe the company should take a step back and reconsider. According to these engineers, many new technologies would be needed before human life on mars could successfully exist. For example, if the food had to be grown only on Mars, which is a vision of Mars One company, there would be production of unsafe levels of oxygen leading to suffocation of any human inhabitants. A technology to remove that excess oxygen would have to be implemented, a technology not yet developed for use in space. Additionally, water is a huge issue. Although, the Mars Phoenix lander discovered evidence of ice on Mar’s surface, and it seems that it could simply be melted into fresh water, this is not as simple as it sounds. Another contradiction to the Mars One Company’s belief that all necessary technology is available is one that could melt this frozen water especially ice in space. Such a technology has not yet even begun its existence. Another matter to be dealt with is the cost, about 4.5 billion dollars. This cost would only grow with additional crews and supplies sent to Mars over the years. According to MIT Professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems Olivier de Weck, “The prospect of building a human settlement on Mars is an exciting one. To make this goal a reality, however, will require innovations in a number of technologies and a rigorous systems perspective.” There is no back and white right now about going to Mars and settling there. But, according to engineers at MIT it will not happen for a long time. “There are just so many unknowns,” says graduate student Sydney Do, “And to give anyone confidence that they’re going to get there and stay alive – there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”
This article is consequential to everyone all over the world, including us here in Bronxville. The fact that there is even the slight possibility of a human colony on Mars is outstanding. It will encourage technology to improve and provide us with the ability to imagine. Just imagine life on a planet other than Earth. To see Earth in the night sky would be amazing. Thinking about life on another planet really gets us thinking about what we need to live. We take it for granted how well fit Earth is for life. We are so fortunate and this article really brings to light how precious all our natural resources are. There is no other planet like Earth. No other known liquid water in the observable universe. No other life as we know it, anywhere, but here on our exceptional planet Earth.
To conclude, this article was overall very well written. It included key quotes from students at MIT and information from the various professors working on the project. The author clearly explained everything in the article so that anyone could easily understand. I really enjoyed how the information was presented and the fascinating photo on the top of the article of what a colony on Mars would look like. This photo was a beneficial addition because it gives a great visual to what life could be like on the mysterious red planet. This article really leaves an air of mystery as I analyze all that I have read and the real possibility of living on Mars. It makes me appreciate the uniqueness of our home planet and how blessed we truly are to live here, on the Blue Planet.
I read Isabella’s review of the article “Mars One (and Done?)” by Jennifer Chiu. There were many things that I thought Isabella did well in her review. One thing I really liked about her review was how she included many quotes from people working on the project. This helps to show how the people involved in the project feel about it. Another thing I liked about this review was how Isabella did a good job explaining the many problems that the project has come into contact with. By doing this, the article seems less bias. A final thing that I liked about Isabella’s article was how she did a good job of explaining how this project would affect people’s lives.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I though Isabella did a really good job reviewing this article, I think she could have done a few things better. For example, she could have talked for about the benefits of life on mars. She included a lot on the problems with the program but little on the benefit. Another thing I think she could have done is she could have included what the author could have done better or what could have improved the article.
One thing that I found truly amazing about the article is how soon the Dutch nonprofit plans to establish the first human colony on mars. They plan to go this by 2025, which when you think about it isn’t far away. In conclusion, I think that this was a well written article, and Isabella did a good job reviewing it.