For many, Mars will be a sort of “second home for the Earth”, the only way to preserve our species according to many, but colonizing another planet – despite the fact that projects are being created for futuristic cities – is not easy. There is another plan in store for the red planet: create a bubble and put a nature reserve on it.
The idea in question comes directly fromcivil engineer of the University of Bristol, Paul Smith. “If human population growth is not controlled, natural areas must be sacrificed“, writes the scientist in the International Journal of Astrobiology. “An alternative is to create more habitats by terraforming Mars.“
Doing something like this is obviously not easy, but we will have the large hidden water ice reserves in the planet and the Martian regolithrich in some elements necessary for terrestrial agriculture, in particular phosphorus (although it is not sufficient for cultivation, since other essential elements are missing).
Smith does not suggest terraforming the entire Martian surface, but rather creating “domes” with a terrestrial environment inside. “Facsimile” models of terrestrial forests. “It would serve as an Extraterrestrial Nature Reserve (ETNR), psychological refuge, and utilitarian botanical garden“, writes Smith, “supporting species of value to the colonists for secondary metabolites (vitamins, flavors, perfumes, medicines, colors, and mood enhancers).“
Definitely not a simple operation, but with space development and technological advancement one day all of this could be doable.
What do you think?
