Terraforming Mars

Die Idee, den Mars zu terraformen, ist in der letzten Zeit zu einem Thema von großem wissenschaftlichem Interesse und umfassender öffentlicher Diskussion geworden. Das Terraforming, das teilweise durch die aktuelle Notwendigkeit angeregt wird, auf der Erde Geoengineering zum Kampf gegen den globalen Klimawandel einzusetzen, soll die derzeit lebensfeindliche Umgebung auf dem Mars lebensfreundlicher machen ? insbesondere für menschliches Leben. Geoengineering und Terraforming haben im Kern dasselbe Ziel: Sie sollen eine bestimmte Umgebung so verbessern (oder wiederherstellen), dass darauf menschliches Leben, Gesellschaft und Industrie möglich sind. Die Artikel in diesem Buch, die von Experten auf ihrem jeweiligen Gebiet verfasst wurden, stehen daher im Einklang mit der wichtigen, anhaltenden Diskussion über die menschliche Verantwortung für globale Klimasysteme. Daher ist das Buch aktuell und relevant und beschäftigt sich mit der Problematik von Themen, die in den kommenden Jahrzehnten noch an Bedeutung gewinnen werden. Der Gedanke, den Mars zu terraformen, ist an sich nicht neu und bildet schon lange das Gerüst für zahlreiche Science-Fiction-Romane. Dieses Buch befasst sich jedoch ausschließlich mit dem, was physikalisch möglich ist und was innerhalb der nächsten Generationen der Menschheit möglicherweise in die Praxis umgesetzt werden könnte.

Auteur

Martin Beech, PhD is Professor Emeritus at the University of Regina, and Campion College, Saskatchewan, Canada. He has conducted and published research in the many areas of astronomy, planetary science, and the history of science. His main astronomy research interests are in the area of small solar system bodies (asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and meteorites).

Professor J. Seckbach, PhD is a retired senior academician at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and did a post-doctorate in the Division of Biology at Caltech, in Pasadena, CA. He served at Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, LA, USA, as the first selected Chair for the Louisiana Sea Grant and Technology transfer. Professor Joseph Seckbach has edited over 40 scientific books and authored about 140 scientific articles. Richard Gordon, PhD is a theoretical biologist and retired from the Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba in 2011. Presently at Gulf Specimen Marine Lab & Aquarium, Panacea, Florida and Adjunct Professor, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth & Development, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit Michigan. Interest in exobiology (now astrobiology) dates from 1960s undergraduate work on organic matter in the Orgueil meteorite with Edward Anders. Has published critical reviews of panspermia and the history of discoveries of life in meteorites.

Contenu

Preface xv

Part 1: Introduction 1

1 Terraforming and Colonizing Mars 3

Giancarlo Genta

1.1 Introduction 3

1.2 Earth: A Terraformed Planet 4

1.3 Planetary Environments 6

1.4 Terraforming Mars 10

1.5 The Role of Solar Wind 15

1.6 Ethical Aspects 16

1.7 Venus, Moon, Titan... 19

References 21

Part 2: Engineering Mars 23

2 Terraforming Worlds: Humans Playing Games of Gods 25

Nilo Serpa and Richard Cathcart

Early Mars 26

Oceans Here and There 28

The Mars We are Creating Here 30

Mars: An Arena of Delusions? 34

References 35

3 Mars, A Stepping-Stone World, Macro-Engineered 37

Richard B. Cathcart

3.1 Introduction 37

3.2 Mars-Crust as Kinetic Architecture 38

3.3 A Crust-Infrastructure Mixture 39

3.4 Infrastructure and Life-Styles 40

3.5 Atmosphere Enhancements for Mars 44

3.6 Between Then and Now 46

Acknowledgments 48

References 48

4 Efficient Martian Settlement with the Mars Terraformer Transfer (MATT) and the Omaha Trail 51

Gary Stewart

4.1 Introduction 51

4.2 Construction Efficiencies of MATT's Small-Scale Terraformation 52

4.2.1 Impact Terraformation for Settlement 52

4.2.2 Impactor Redirection with DE-STARLITE 55

4.2.3 Subaqueous Hab Network at Omaha Crater 57

4.3 Provisioning Efficiencies of the Omaha Trail 61

4.3.1 Deimos Dock 63

4.3.2 Mars Lift 64

4.3.3 Arestation 66

4.3.4 Deimos Rail Launcher (DRL) 66

4.4 Cosmic Ray Protection: From Omaha Trail to Omaha Shield 67

4.5 Conclusion 68

References 69

5 Mars Colonization: Beyond Getting There 73

Igor Levchenko, Shuyan Xu, Stéphane Mazouffre, Michael Keidar and Kateryna Bazaka

5.1 Mars Colonization - Do We Need it? 73

5.2 Legal Considerations 78

5.2.1 Do Earth Laws Apply To Mars Colonists? 78

5.2.2 Sovereignty 79

5.2.3 Human Rights 80

5.2.4 Abortion 82

5.3 Ethical Considerations 83

5.3.1 General 83

5.3.2 Human Reproduction - Ethical Considerations 84

5.3.3 Social Isolation and No Privacy - Rolled into One 85

5.3.4 Advocacy for Mars - is it Ethical at All to Colonize it? 86

5.4 Consideration of Resources 88

5.5 Quo Vadis, the Only Civilization We Know? 89

5.6 Afterword. Where are We Three Years Later? 89

5.6.1 Current Programs and Their Status - in Brief 89

5.6.2 Any News About Mars? 90

5.6.3 Tasks and Challenges 90

Acknowledgements 92

References 92

Part 3: Ethical Exploration 99

6 The Ethics of Terraforming: A Critical Survey of Six Arguments 101

Ian Stoner

6.1 Introduction 101

6.2 Audience and Method 102

6.3 Preservationist Arguments 103

6.3.1 We Should Preserve Mars's Value as a Unique Object of Scientific Interest 103

6.3.2 We Should Preserve the Integrity of the Martian Wilderness 104

6.3.3 We Should Avoid Expressing Colonialist Vices 106

6.4 Interventionist Arguments 108

6.4.1 We Should Fulfill our Inborn Nature as Pioneers 108

6.4.2 We Should Increase Our Species' Chance of Long-Term Survival 109

6.4.3 We Should Rehabilitate Mars for Martians 112

6.5 Conclusion 113

Acknowledgments 114

References 114

7 Homo Reductio Eco-Nihilism and Human Colonization of Other Worlds 117

Kelly Smith

7.1 Introduction 117

7.2 Implicit Assumptions 119

7.3 Conclusion 121

Acknowledgements 122

References 122

8 Ethical, Political and Legal Challenges Relating to Colonizing and Terraforming Mars 123

Konrad Szocik

8.1 Introduction 123

8.2 Ethical Issues in Colonizing and Terraforming Mars 124

8.3 Ethics of Human Enhancement for Space 125

8.4 Environmental Ethics in Space 125

8.5 Political Issues in Colonizing and Terraforming Mars 127

8.6 Legal Issues in Colonizing and Terraforming Mars 128

8.7 Sexual and Reproductive Laws in a Mars Colony 129

8.8 Migration Law in Space 130

8.9 Why Terraforming Mars May Be Necessary from Ethical, Political and Legal Perspectives 132

8.10 Conclusions 133

References 133

Part 4: Indigenous Life on Mars 135

9 Life on Mars: Past, Present, and Future 137

Martin Beech and Mark Comte

9.1 A Very Brief Historical Introduction 137

9.2 Indigenous Life: Past and Present 141

9.2.1 Beginnings 145

9.2.2 The Viking Experiments 148

9.2.3 Martian Meteorites 149

9.2.4 In Plain Sight 151

9.3 Seeded Life: The Future 154

9.4 Per Aspera ad Astra 156

References 157

10 Terraforming on Early Mars? 161

M. Polgári, I. Gyollai and Sz. Bérczi

10.1 Introduction 162

10.1.1 Aspects of Biogenicity 163

10.1.2 Methodology 163

10.1.3 Multihierarchical System Analyses 164

10.2 Outline of Section 10.2 167

10.2.1 Review of Research on Martian Life 167

10.2.2 Biosignatures in Martian Meteorites Based on Mineralogical and Textural Investigation 169

10.2.3 Biosignatures in Chondritic Meteorites 169

10.2.3.1 Interpretations 175

10.2.3.2 Clay Formation 182

10.2.3.3 Interpretation No. 1 183

10.2.3.4 Interpretation No. 2 (Preferred) 183

10.2.4 Terrestrial Analogues of Biosign…