SpaceX has an exciting plan to send humans to Mars by 2024, which is 55 years after the first moon landing. Unlike the short visits to the moon during the Apollo missions, SpaceX wants to make Mars a place where humans can live permanently. The journey to Mars will take about five months, but what will the astronauts do once they arrive? Let’s explore what needs to happen before humans can live on Mars and what the first astronauts will do to start building a colony there.
Before astronauts can set foot on Mars, essential resources like water and power need to be ready. SpaceX plans to send two uncrewed missions in 2022 using their Big Falcon Rockets (BFRs). These missions will carry important equipment, including solar panels and a mining system. This mining system will help create a propellant plant, which will turn Mars’ carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and methane using the Sabatier process. These gases will be turned into liquid fuel to help astronauts return to Earth.
If the initial missions are successful, SpaceX will send the first humans to Mars in 2024. This mission will include two cargo ships and two crewed ships, each carrying six to eight astronauts. The astronauts might stay on Mars for a few months or even a couple of years as they work on setting up the propellant plant and other essential systems.
One of the first tasks for the astronauts will be to establish a base. While it’s not clear what the base will look like, some suggest it could be similar to the International Space Station with expandable modules. Others think it might be better to build the base underground to protect against radiation and harsh weather. Elon Musk’s Boring Company might even help dig tunnels for underground habitats.
Getting food on Mars is another challenge. The first astronauts will bring a two-year supply of vacuum-sealed food, similar to what is used on the International Space Station. Although they won’t rely on Mars-grown food at first, they might bring a greenhouse to experiment with growing plants and possibly add fresh produce to their diet.
To explore Mars, astronauts will need a vehicle that can handle the rough terrain. NASA is developing the “Space Exploration Vehicle” (SEV) for this purpose. This pressurized vehicle can support up to four astronauts for 72 hours and travel over 125 miles, which is much farther than the lunar rover could travel on the moon.
As we get closer to seeing humans on Mars, we can appreciate the huge engineering challenges that need to be solved. If you’re excited about space exploration and want to learn more, you can support Primal Space on Patreon. They even have a giveaway for a Saturn V Lego set once they reach 50 patrons! Make sure to subscribe and join the discussion as we continue to learn about space. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more exciting space adventures!
Using materials like cardboard, clay, and recycled items, design and build a model of a Mars colony. Think about the essential systems needed for survival, such as habitats, power sources, and food production. Present your model to the class and explain how it addresses the challenges of living on Mars.
Investigate the Sabatier process, which is used to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and methane. Create a presentation explaining how this process works and its importance for creating fuel on Mars. Include diagrams or animations to help illustrate the chemical reactions involved.
Imagine you are tasked with designing a vehicle for exploring Mars. Consider the terrain and environmental challenges. Sketch your design and describe its features, such as how it will protect astronauts and navigate the Martian surface. Share your design with the class and discuss its potential effectiveness.
Create a timeline for a mission to Mars, starting from launch preparations to the return journey. Include key milestones such as the launch, landing, setting up the base, and exploration activities. Use a digital tool or poster board to display your timeline and present it to the class.
Participate in a class debate on whether Mars bases should be built underground or above ground. Research the pros and cons of each option, considering factors like radiation protection and construction challenges. Form teams to argue each side and engage in a structured debate to explore the best approach for Mars colonization.
In the year 2024, SpaceX aims to send the first humans to Mars, 55 years after humans first set foot on the moon. While the Apollo missions only involved short stays on the moon, SpaceX aims to make Mars a permanent home for humans. For the first group of astronauts heading to Mars, the journey is expected to take around five months, but what will they do when they get there? In this video, we’re going to look at what needs to be achieved before we can send humans to Mars. We will also explore the initial structures and systems that astronauts will set up in order to begin colonizing Mars.
Before the first astronauts ever set foot on the surface of Mars, they will need to have essentials like water and power already established. SpaceX plans to achieve this in 2022 by sending two BFRs on uncrewed missions, carrying important equipment such as a large array of solar panels and a mining system. This mining system will be the basis of SpaceX’s automated propellant plant, which they aim to expand with every new mission that heads to Mars. This propellant plant will process the large supplies of CO2 and water found on Mars by using the Sabatier process to make oxygen and methane, which will then be liquefied and used as fuel to return the astronauts back to Earth.
If this mission is successful in setting up the foundations for a Mars colony, SpaceX will be on course for sending the first humans to Mars in 2024. This mission will consist of two cargo ships and two crewed ships, carrying around six to eight astronauts each. The astronauts could be staying on Mars anywhere between a few months to a couple of years while they continue to set up the propellant plant.
One of the most important tasks for the astronauts upon arrival will be to establish a base. It’s unclear what the first Martian base will look like, although many have suggested that it should have a design similar to the International Space Station, with compact pressurized modules allowing room for expansion. Others have proposed that the initial base on Mars should be built underground to protect the astronauts from intense radiation and extreme weather conditions. It’s possible that Elon Musk’s Boring Company could be utilized to dig tunnels and create underground habitats for astronauts to live on Mars.
Then there is the question of how astronauts will obtain their food. The first astronauts on Mars will take a two-year supply of vacuum-sealed packets of food, which are light and compact, similar to those used on the ISS. While the astronauts won’t be relying on Mars-grown food initially, it’s likely that they will bring a greenhouse on their first mission to experiment with growing food and possibly supplementing their diet with freshly grown produce.
To navigate the surface of Mars, the astronauts will also need a vehicle capable of handling rough terrains. NASA has been developing the “Space Exploration Vehicle” for this exact purpose. This is a pressurized vehicle that can support up to four astronauts for 72 hours. With multiple SEVs on the surface of Mars, astronauts would be able to travel more than 125 miles in any direction, a significant improvement over the maximum six-mile range that the lunar rover had on the moon.
As we get closer to seeing the first humans set foot on Mars, we can appreciate the enormous engineering challenges that need to be overcome before they arrive. If you enjoyed this video and would like to contribute to Primal Space, please visit Patreon.com/PrimalSpace, where we will be doing a giveaway of a Saturn V Lego set once we reach 50 patrons! Make sure you’re subscribed so you can join the discussion as we continue to learn more about all things space. Thank you very much for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video.
Mars – The fourth planet from the Sun in our solar system, known for its reddish appearance. – Scientists are developing new technologies to send astronauts to Mars for exploration.
Astronauts – People who are trained to travel and work in space. – The astronauts conducted experiments on the International Space Station to learn more about living in space.
Space – The vast, seemingly infinite area beyond Earth’s atmosphere where stars, planets, and other celestial bodies exist. – Engineers design spacecraft to withstand the harsh conditions of space.
Engineering – The application of scientific and mathematical principles to design and build structures, machines, and systems. – Engineering is crucial for creating safe and efficient spacecraft for space missions.
Base – A location or structure used as a starting point for operations or activities, especially in space exploration. – The lunar base will serve as a hub for astronauts to conduct research on the Moon.
Food – Substances consumed to provide nutritional support for the body, especially important for sustaining life during space missions. – Engineers are developing new ways to grow food in space to support long-term missions.
Exploration – The act of traveling through an unfamiliar area to learn about it, often used in the context of space exploration. – Space exploration helps us understand more about our universe and the possibility of life on other planets.
Resources – Materials or assets that are valuable and can be used to support life or activities, such as water or minerals. – Finding resources on Mars could help sustain future human colonies on the planet.
Vehicle – A machine, typically one used for transportation, such as a spacecraft or rover in the context of space exploration. – The Mars rover is a vehicle designed to explore the surface of the Red Planet and send data back to Earth.
Habitat – A place or environment where organisms live, which can be specially designed for humans in space. – Engineers are designing a habitat that can support astronauts living on the Moon for extended periods.
