thanks for the link. very informatiev

np. its what i do anyway, whittle away my hours looking at mars things.
i was waiting for a joint effor betwen MER and ME, and really just the whole world. thats where were really trying to go after all.

Interesting. It could make takeoff and landings with any aircraft there a bit problematic. Also, you'd have to take that into account when building structures and the like there... I wonder how most materials would stand up, long term? Probably crack paint, that's about it. I doubt a cubic metre of martian air has two joules to rub together!

[Edited on 21-2-2004 by Lampyridae]

Originally posted by Lampyridae
Interesting. It could make takeoff and landings with any aircraft there a bit problematic. Also, you'd have to take that into account when building structures and the like there... I wonder how most materials would stand up, long term? Probably crack paint, that's about it. I doubt a cubic metre of martian air has two joules to rub together!

[Edited on 21-2-2004 by Lampyridae]

i dunno, i dont see it as a major problem, really, just an interesting quirk. its weird as hell, but 7 degress aint all that much. buildings will just need to b insulated from heat and cold, which they wud be anyway. by the time we really need them to be aesthetically pleasing, the jumps will probbaly be done away with

Mars' atmospheric density is roughly equivalent to Earth's at 100,000 ft altitude. You'd have trouble using conventional aircraft there.

[Edited on 21-2-2004 by Condorcet]

So that's why they used a parachute to brake the lander!

I know I know... I should take account for the lander's decent speed. But still... conventional aircraft are possible with slightly bigger wings maybe. It all depends on your speed and propulsion.

As for the housing problem ....why not study houses in the Sahara where there are also huge temp differences!
I would suggest bedouintents

it would be a minor engineering problem, nothing we couldn't find a way to adapt to. 7 degrees is actually a very significant change for humans to experience. it sure would be a hassle to take of and put on a jacket every couple minutes whille playing some mars b-ball.

Daytime temperatures near the Martian equator, where Opportunity is, can climb above zero. But the atmosphere is only about 1 percent as dense as Earth's, so at night temperatures plunge to around -130 Fahrenheit (-90 Celsius).

I doubt there will be any nighttime activities

The temperatures, more than anything, would be prohibitive to activity on Mars, in my opinion. Oxygen tanks work fine in all weather and density, but between the erratic temperature and the ludicrously cold nights, we'd have to do some pretty extensive work to develop an environmental suit that could cope with those sorts of things and that range of heat values.

Does anyone know how heavily the moon's temperature fluctuates? We may be closer than I think; darned if I know.

Originally posted by Xenographer
The temperatures, more than anything, would be prohibitive to activity on Mars, in my opinion. Oxygen tanks work fine in all weather and density, but between the erratic temperature and the ludicrously cold nights, we'd have to do some pretty extensive work to develop an environmental suit that could cope with those sorts of things and that range of heat values.

Does anyone know how heavily the moon's temperature fluctuates? We may be closer than I think; darned if I know.

well, as far as i no, the moon is very cold and stays that way. no atmosphere=no heat kept in=very very cold, and will stay that way. thigns fluctuate cuz of the sun, but not like that.

as to the human thing, well, i dun think its a big deal. if were gonan be living there (we will) then terraforming is bound to change a lot of that, make things more mellow/even/boring/livable.
in other words, no worries mate.

what would you use to create atmospshere likes ours on mars???

water?
algee?
trees?
a big atmospsher maker-ing thing

Originally posted by CookieMonster000
what would you use to create atmospshere likes ours on mars???

water?
algee?
trees?
a big atmospsher maker-ing thing

yeah. all of the above, minus trees. theyre too big to start with. and it might take a while to get real water, but u can do it

Originally posted by CookieMonster000
what would you use to create atmospshere likes ours on mars???

water?
algee?
trees?
a big atmospsher maker-ing thing

just use the big underground heating elements left by the martians to melt the ice and spread hydrogen into the air.

LOL, dunkleskates! :-) I'm sure Arnold would agree with ya

man... I could cope with the weather changes, lol. I don't know any different... where I live it will be 75 degrees and half an hour later the temp will drop by easily 10-15 degrees. Day to night temps vary by 20-40 degrees (not sure exact number). And when you are in the mountains and you see some clouds rolling in, get to a safe place. I have been only a mile from camp and saw clouds rolling in and turned around. By the time I got back I was already walking through a foot of snow!

I'm not totally serious about this, though... constant variations of up to 7 degrees is pretty harsh. Go look in the camping section of Gart Brothers and you wil find clothes and gear that are made to be worn in anything from 50F to -20F. All they really have to do is integrate technologies, but I'm sure NASA will waste millions to develop similar technology instead. They really need to get out of their labs and cubicles and see what's already available.

[Edited on 28-2-2004 by Earthscum]

sudden weather changes can cause stomach ache...makes you want to have a BIG dump....its like on a hot summer day you walk into a mall thats freezing cold makes me want to take a bad dump....

man... me and my friend always thought we crapped alot from the nicotine and Mt. Dew. Now I can tell him it's the weather! Lol... had to say that. Can you imagine the sanitation system you would have to have on mars? THAT would be insane!