Maxwell W Luo
Baltimor county public schools, Perry hall, MD 21128, United States
*Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 2020-8-18 / Accepted: 2020-9-21 / Published: 2020-10-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37906/isteamc.2020.7
Abstract This article summarizes and discusses approaches to make Mars habitable to human beings. The human being needs key requirements to survive, which are food, oxygen, water, and shelter. The techniques of photocatalytic water splitting technique and electrolysis are compared for oxygen generation. The hydroponic and aquaponics, vertical farming, and aeroponics are analyzed in this article to viable solutions to providing food on Mars. The shelter is another mandatory requirement for humans to survive on Mars. Techniques and approaches such as 3D printing, inflatable shelters, caves, and lava tubes are discussed in the article. To fully colonize Mars, terraforming is recommended as it creates an Earth-like environment and allows humans to live on Mars as if they live on Earth. However, it could take hundreds of years to achieve the terraforming goal. The combined use of all these techniques can make a suitable environment for the life of humans on Mars, and the goal of colonizing Mars is feasible and achievable.
Research Areas: Planetary Science
Keywords: Mars, Colonization, Habitat, Terraforming
