Life Beyond Earth
What will make humankind look beyond Earth?
The continuation of civilization on Earth is hindered by the thought of more than a few catastrophic disasters. First, an asteroid hitting Earth would be at the top of the list. Scientists believe an asteroid of substantial magnitude could easily erase humankind. The extinction of dinosaurs also leaves a handful of worries for humanity to exercise. Furthermore, global warming takes a long time for humanity to dwell on. For instance, rising sea levels and soaring temperatures leave little to the imagination about how this planet is slowly becoming inhospitable — coupled with the fact that we are slowly losing our lands to the sea, and even more lives are lost to these natural disasters. In addition, the exhaustion of resources will inevitably leave humankind to search for other planets. In particular, when our oil fields run dry or our coal mines close, humanity will need to find other energy sources. More crucially, we are dependent on natural resources, and as a result, our species will be forced to look beyond Earth. Hence, there is a pressing need for solutions to the issues of asteroids, global warming, and energy depletion.
Issues we must solve before settling on other planets
Many problems arise when it comes to inhabiting other planets. Firstly, the cost of travel will exclude ordinary people from taking this journey. This is because a massive amount of fuel is required for space travel, and not to mention, the poor reusability of rockets also soars up the prices. Another equally valid problem is finding another planet similar to that of Earth. For instance, our bodies adapt to the surrounding pressure and temperature, so we need to mold the new planet's atmosphere similar to Earth's. Most of the planet surrounding our solar system is too hot or cold for our species to survive. The greatest issue of all is making the planet self-sustainable. To be self-sustainable, the planet needs to be capable of growing its food, and the air should have an adequate amount of carbon dioxide for green life to prosper. Furthermore, a clean water source is beyond important for civilization to flourish. In brief, the challenges such as the cost of fuel, finding a new planet similar to Earth, and making the planet hospital are a few of the problems halting the progression of humankind thriving on another planet.
The nearest planet to which humans can colonize
Mars can be considered a top contender for humanity to expand on, and there are several reasons for this. A prime example is that the diameter of Mars is half of Earth, but both share equal land mass, as most of Earth is covered by water. Furthermore, water was also recently discovered on Mars. This is a giant leap for humankind in developing a self-sustaining planet. Moreover, the giant apple of the tree can easily be the fact that 90% of the atmosphere on Mars is mostly carbon dioxide. A high level of carbon dioxide will result in the excellent development of plants, and the fact which adds a cherry to the top is that the soil is similar to that of Earth. To put it briefly, similar land mass, the discovery of water, and a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere are all good signs for which this planet can also be called home.
Challenges to establishing human habitation on Mars
Although Mars may look like a tree full of fruit, it does bear a few forbidden apples. To start with, the temperature on Mars is below the point humans can comprehend. So, people must live in artificial domes where the temperature is regulated. However, after a while, the temperature of Mars can be molded to fit with that of Earth, but it will be a long and slow process. Another challenge we need to discuss here is that there remains a lack of oxygen for humans to respire. Thus, the environment needs to be artificially filtered to support human life. In short, the temperature and atmosphere are a few of humanity's most significant worries when establishing a colony on Mars.
Humanity will have its feet over another planet soon.
Space travel and settling on another planet may look like a wild goose chase for now, but the advances in technology being made are unprecedented. Asteroids and natural disasters are a few of the problems we want to protect humanity from, at the very least. There are obstacles such as prices, fuel consumption, and reusability of rockets but strides of considerable magnitude are being made each day. Nevertheless, whether it be Mars or any other planet in the cosmos, humankind will have its feet over there.
