[FPSPACE] Discovery reveals Mars is not a

[Jens Kieffer-Olsen]

-----Original Message-----
From: Kosmos327 at aol.com [mailto:Kosmos327 at aol.com] 
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 11:37 PM

> In a message dated 1/19/2009 2:32:09 P.M. Eastern
> Standard Time, dstdba at post4.tele.dk writes:

 [snippo]

>> For one thing, you are probably NOT going to find
>> another planet just like Earth, ready-made for humans
>> to live on, within the Milky Way. Each and every
>> potentially habitable planet requires a terraforming
>> effort. 
> 
> If we would find planets like Earth there would be no
> need to terraform. However there are numerous Earth-sized
> planets, and THAT will be the first criteria for terraforming.
> I simply believe that once the technology to terraform becomes
> feasible, Mars, as attractive and romantic as it may be,
> will no longer be practical.
>
> David L. Rickman

 There are two issues here. First, it's surface gravity, not
 planet size, that determines if a planet feels right. Earth
 - probably part of a third-generation star environment - is
 made from iron, most planets are not. Remember the old
 physics teacher, who used to ask his students, what would
 happen if you threw the planet Saturn into the bathtub?  The
 surprising answer is that Saturn would float, being in fact
 lighter than water!

 But also atmospheric pressure and in particular composition is
 essential, if terraforming shall not be too huge an effort.
 Finding a planet matching Earth in all important respects is
 like winning the lottery, it takes forever.

 The other issure is proximity. You dismiss Mars as a valuable
 planet, just because you believe in FTL travel. Let me tell
 you that even if FTL traveling existed, you'd have to travel
 the length and the breadth of the Milky Way in conventional
 manner first to earn the right to discover it. Po-moyemu!

--
Jens Kieffer-Olsen
Slagelse, Denmark