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But can they reproduce in the soil at the same range of air pressure found in habitats, with the same gravity / gas mixture? Can they still reproduce after 50 years?
The atmospheric pressure on the ISS is very close to 1 atmosphere, and it's an oxygen-nitrogen mix close to earth's atmosphere.
If we are able to conclusively determine that Mars is no longer host to life, should we try to seed the planet with carbon dioxide & methane producing organisms in order to create an atmosphere?
That wouldn't do much good unless we can re-establish the magnetosphere.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Excessive radiation can also kill plants and animals
Even before it kills them, it definitely ruins their reproductive capacity, which is going to be critical offworld.
But can they reproduce in the soil at the same range of air pressure found in habitats, with the same gravity / gas mixture? Can they still reproduce after 50 years?
If these habitats are also housing people, then the atmosphere will likely be very close to Earth pressure and composition. The atmospheric pressure on the ISS is very close to 1 atmosphere, and it's an oxygen-nitrogen mix close to earth's atmosphere.
If we are able to conclusively determine that Mars is no longer host to life, should we try to seed the planet with carbon dioxide & methane producing organisms in order to create an atmosphere?
That wouldn't do much good unless we can re-establish the magnetosphere.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That wouldn't do much good unless we can re-establish the magnetosphere.
I think it is still an open (and hotly debated) question on if planets need magnetospheres to retain an atmosphere.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Even before it kills them, it definitely ruins their reproductive capacity, which is going to be critical offworld.
We could have a breeding population in an expensive shielded environment, and take most of their young to grow in a cheap, more radioactive environment.
But can they reproduce in the soil at the same range of air pressure found in habitats, with the same gravity / gas mixture? Can they still reproduce after 50 years?
Need to run that experiment on the ISS in a Mars-gravity centrifuge. Despite a lifetime of 6-9 years, though, their generation length is only a few months; if they reproduce in that radiation environment for a year or three and there aren't serious mutations, they'll probably be okay in the long run.