Questions tagged [colonization]
Questions regarding the formation of a new colony on another planet or other body.
267 questions
13 votes
3 answers
2k views
How hot or cold would the caves on Venus be?
People generally agree Venus is hot due to the planet trapping heat from the sun. People also generally agree caves are colder the deeper you go, with caves on Earth entering subzero temperatures ...
- 147
-3 votes
2 answers
242 views
Am I correct in saying we are close to the point where transport will no longer be the largest technological hurdle in space colonisation? [closed]
In recent years, the costs of launch into Earth orbit and other space transportation costs have fallen significantly, some would even say dramatically. If the end goal is a self-sustaining colony ...
- 463
7 votes
1 answer
280 views
Are there actually any good sources of usable energy on Mars?
When talking about colonising Mars, talk of natural resources is usually focused on elements and molecules; We talk about how to find water, how to make metals and cement, where to get soil nutrients ...
- 463
-1 votes
1 answer
169 views
How large would a spacestead (rotating habitat) have to be for there to be an earth-like horizon? [closed]
Most proposed spacestead designs (especially O'Neill cylinders) have the major flaw of lacking a familiar horizon (the "sky" within these habitats tends to be more land and/or water). What ...
6 votes
2 answers
205 views
Would large fauna besides humans make a CELSS more stable?
The Biosphere II project showed us - by failing - that building a CLESS (Closed Ecological Life Support System) is very difficult, although (obviously) one failure does not prove impossibility. I have ...
- 463
6 votes
5 answers
2k views
Growing plants on Mars to increase the oxygen level
I understand that, on Mars, plants would have to grow in a temperature-controlled environment, but could we grow enough plants to sustain a colony, and could we start increasing the amount of oxygen ...
- 61
5 votes
1 answer
224 views
Is it practical to extract elements from the salt remnants of Martian oceans and lakes?
Modern human civilization needs many elements to function. Our mining efforts are based on extensive logistics and the ability to transport ores from excavation sites to processing facilities over ...
- 153
5 votes
1 answer
424 views
Does SpaceX have an intended site on Mars?
Elon Musk recently said that SpaceX intends to launch 5 supply missions to Mars in 2026, initiating a Mars base. Is anything known about where the destination on Mars would be? Are there any obvious ...
- 489
3 votes
1 answer
166 views
From what point on would we talk about "colonizing" a body in space?
There is a lot of talk about colonizing mars (or other bodies in our solar system). What's the threshold to start talking about colonizing? What checkboxes have to be ticked to talk about ...
- 4,186
10 votes
2 answers
3k views
How would humans actually colonize Mars? [closed]
We've heard several times about how Elon Musk plans to take us to Mars using the Starship spacecraft. Although I do believe that given the time and money this is possible, I don't understand how we ...
- 2,506
-5 votes
1 answer
155 views
Why can't we smash asteroids into Mars so it will move closer to the sun for colonization of the planet
It would take a concerted effort to make this happen.
9 votes
3 answers
2k views
Could space habitats have large transparent roofs?
This is a question I have regarding the design of space habitats. Basically, a lot of the designs I've seen end up having transparent roofs that are open to space, like this: Or this (technically a ...
- 191
5 votes
3 answers
1k views
Permanent living on Maglev train on the Moon as a colony
NASA is considering a proposal to build a levitating train system on the Moon. The Moon's surface is often flat and smooth. Maybe building a mobile train colony similar to the movie Snowpiercer on the ...
- 421
5 votes
5 answers
3k views
Is a dome really the most efficient way to contain gas in a vacuum?
It's pretty common to see some artist or even engineer come up with an idea of a lunar or Martian colony with a big ol' glass dome up top. And we seem to have been doing this since the 60's. But ...
- 168
-10 votes
2 answers
1k views
Nuking mars for colonization
While I have seen the idea for nuking Mars’s polar ice caps to release water, the fallout from the thermonuclear blasts could plunge the planet into a nuclear winter which could stop us from ...
- 163