Challenge: Design a Martian

Villa Academy, Seattle, WA
Elizabeth & Emma

Key Questions

Key Question ##1
Q. What are the characteristics that make a planet habitable for humans?

A. Some characteristics that make a planet habitable for humans are oxygen, water, sunlight, protective atmosphere, gravity, and climate.

Oxygen is a key ingredient to life. All human beings breathe oxygen. Oxygen is a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless, odorless, tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas. It consists of 28 percent of the atmosphere by volume.

Water is also an essential element for all life forms, whether it be plants, animals, humans, ect. Water is a clear, odorless, tasteless liquid. It is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, or H2O. We also drink water; this saves us from dehydration.

Sunlight is very important. Heat, light, and energy all come from the sun. We need sunlight for our energy, i.e. photosynthesis. We also need sunlight to grow our food, i.e. crops, and animals. Humans also need sunlight to metabolize certain compounds in our body.

The protective atmosphere around the earth is needed to for the survival of humans. The ozone is the layer around the earth that screens out harmful radiation. It is made up of o3 or 3 molecules of oxygen, or super oxygen. The ozone picks up this extra oxygen when explosions or discharges occur.

Gravity is the attraction between any two massive bodies, which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Gravity is basically what holds us down to the planet, without it we would fly out into space.

Climate includes the meteorological conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and wind that characteristically prevail in a particular region. Certain regions on our planet have areas where the climate is conducive to human habitation.

In conclusion, it takes all of the previously mentioned variables to make a planet habitable for humans.

Definition: Biology is the study of life in the universe.
This research involves many disciplines. It involves the building blocks of life, which are hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus. Planetary interactions, such as comets and meteors, affect the evolution of biogenic elements.

Our study of extraterrestrial life is dependent on what we know about the evolutions of the origins of life on earth. The key elements of the origins of the life on earth include cometary bombardment, life giving water, and organic chemicals. Basic life found in inhabitable zones such as Antarctic rock, boiling hot springs, ocean depths, and underground springs indicate that life is quite possible, in spite of this apparent inhospitable environment.

At one point life existed on Mars. Fossilized bacteria on Mars' meteorites prove so. Water, a key element for life, has been discovered near the surface of Mars. Some materials that existed or exist on Mars, which are needed for life, are:

All life requires energy. The major energy source on earth is sunlight, i.e. photosynthesis. On Mars there is liquid water only under the surface, where there is no sunlight. Creatures that might live on Mars will have to use an alternative energy source, most likely hydrogen gas. The most likely type of organism that would be living on Mars would be similar to Archaea, a Methane-producing microorganism.

Nutrition is critical in sustaining life as we know it. It's apparent that the surface of Mars is in hospitable to the growth of Chlorophyll producing organisms.

However, it is possible that primitive plant life, such as algae, could exist. Algae utilize light energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and hydrogen from the water to synthesize proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Algae are unique in that it also uses nitrogen from the air to produce its proteins and other bio-molecules. The body's basic biochemical processes require energy to occur. It is from the ingestion of various foods that this energy is obtained. Protein is critical and comprises 90% of human hemoglobin. It also forms the backbone of the body's immune system. Micro-algae (such as Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) exist at the beginning of the food chain and provide nutrition in its simplest form. Algae are the most fundamental food on the planet. It has been harvested and eaten for centuries. UC Irvine scientists call it a "Super Food".
In conclusion, life could most definitely live on Mars. Types of it could be there as we speak. With the information we know today, and what we will know in the future, we will be able to discover new species on Mars, if they exist.

Definition: Astrophysics is the study of physical and chemical property of astronomical phenomena.

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun; it is called the red planet. Mars is named after the Roman god of war. It is only about half the size of Earth. Mars is very similar to Earth. For instance, its period of rotation and inclination of its axis are similair Its density indicates it is made up of rocky materials, although it weighs less than earth. Only Earth and Mars, among all the terrestrial planets have satellites.

Some of the characteristics of Mars are: It has a 37 min longer rotation period. Its inclination of its axis is at 24 degrees, so Mars experiences significant seasonal changes. Because Mars is small it's difficult to observe details on it surface. Mars is now very dry, but many channels record a time when liquid water was at its surface. There is even a possibility Mars experienced catastrophic flooding.

New images reveal details of layered Martian rocks.
Craters are produced by the impact of meteors and comets with the surface of Mars. The number of craters in a region is a clue to its age. Older areas have larger area of craters.

The strength of gravity varies slightly from place to place. Regions where the gravity is stronger can occur because the topography is high or because the rocks are denser than average. The crust of Mars has a different chemical composition than deeper parts of the planet. Vigorous fluid motions of molten iron in the Earth's core create a magnetic force. In fact, our entire planet behaves like a giant magnet. This magnetic field is a global feature and can be detected anywhere on Earth.

In contrast, the magnetic properties of Mars are quite different from Earth. Mars does not have a global magnetic field. Magnetic stripes (small areas of magnetism) are only observed in the ancient, cratered regions of Mars. Vigorous fluid motions in the core of Mars were possible for a few hundred million years after Mars formed. As Mars cooled the Vigor of these fluid motions decreased and was no longer able to generate magnetism. Because earth is larger than Mars, its core has remained hotter and more active, and continues to generate magnetic activity.

Radiation affects the human body. When cosmic rays hit the skull or bones, the collision creates secondary ions. Some have very high energy. This can cause phenomenal damage. Persistent genetic mutations can increase the likelihood of developing cancer.

The primary radiation sources in the outer space are the Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and the Solar Particle Events (SPE)

The Earth as a planet has a magnetic field to filter out rays. On Mars however, life forms could be subjected to solar flares. These are unpredictable events in which the sun releases great pluses of radiation which would be fatal to human beings on Mars.

It becomes apparent that increased levels of radiation pose a significant physiologic threat to potential life on Mars. Radiation can be shielded out by certain metals, like lead. It is also thought that Martian soil, called regolith, could be used for space radiation shielding.

On Mars, humans would experience a severe loss of bone density. This is due to the substantial decrease of gravity on Mars.

Definition: Atmospherics is the study of weather and its patterns. This also includes the composition of the air.

The average temperature on Mars is -81ºF. The record high it 68ºF and the record low is -220ºF. Because of the major weather changes that Mars is capable of, it would be very difficult to make the skin type able to handle it.

The pressure on Mars changes depending on the day of the year. Pressure is important because if there is too much then Humans will shrink and implode, but if there isn't enough Humans will explode. The chart would indicate that we would have to change our Martian to adjust to the pressure. Below is a chart graphing these changes.

The air composition of Mars is much different than that of Earth.

Mars

Major: (out of one hundred)

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) 95.32%

N2 (Nitrogen) 2.7%

Ar (Argon) 1.6%

CO (Carbon Monoxide

Minor: (parts out of a million)

H20 (Water) 210

NO (Nitrogen Oxide) 100

Ne (Neon) 2.5

HDO (Hydrogen – Deuterium – Oxygen) .85

KR (Krypton) .3

Xe (Xenon) .08%

Earth

N2 (Nitrogen) 78.1%

O2 (Oxygen) 20.9%

Ar (Argon) 1.6%

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) .1%

NH3 (Methane) .1%

We used this information to help us build the breathing system of our Martina. We both know that a good deal of the air on Mars is composed of deadly gases that would affect humans. The most abundant among the gases is carbon dioxide. When humans breathe, they inhale oxygen, and exhale carbon dioxide (CO2). However, the plants are able to breathe in CO2, and though a process called photosynthesis, produce more oxygen for us to breathe. Elizabeth and I considered having the Martian breathe like a plant. However, in order for that to happen it would need sunlight. Because of the environment on the surface of Mars, it was becoming impossible to modify our Martian to live outside. So our Martian will have to live underground instead. However, because it was living underground, it no longer could use the process of photosynthesis to breathe.

In conclusion, our Martian will eat algae, and have thicker skin. The thicker skin will help it to deal with the harsh weather and the algae will be a source of oxygen.

Definition: Geology is the study of the origin, history, and structure of the solid matter of an extraterrestrial xbody.

The geology of Mars is actually very interesting. Because of the lack of plate tectonics, there are many volcanoes on Mars, but they are inactive. At least, there is no evidence of plate tectonics. One source indicated that the only way to definitively would be to dig down underground. Scientists do know that underground there are geothermal springs that could help protect our Martian from the spores. Mars has many large craters, very few of which are filled with water.

On earth we have volcanoes that are active and plate tectonics, both things that Mars lacks. The good think though is that neither of these should greatly affect the Martian building process. About 1/3 of earth is water, and there are no craters.

We used this information to help us decide where our Martian should live. Since there are so many large volcanoes and craters on Mars, there was no possible way for him/her to live on the surface.

So, we decided that the Martian had to be able to live underground. This would be good because our weather research showed that it is very cold on Mars. So, having them live underground will provide both heat and a safe place to live.

Project Martian: Key Question #2
Q. Is Mars habitable for humans? Why or Why not?

A. Mars is not habitable for humans. This is because the air composition on Mars is Carbon Dioxide (CO2) which is poisonous for humans. Co2 makes up 95.32% of the atmosphere on Mars.

The temperature on Mars would also be unbearable, and potentially fatal. The average temperature on Mars is -81ºF.

Also, there is little or no ozone layer on Mars, providing no protection from ultraviolet rays from the sun. Therefore, the radiation layer on Mars would be lethal to humans.

The gravity on Mars is 1/3 of the gravity on Earth; this would cause us to fly away into space. While that may sound fun, humans would lose all air in their bodies, and would be dead in minutes.

On Mars, the only apparent food sources are algae and salt. Humans can’t subsist on salt because it doesn’t produce the energy, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, or any of the vitamins that we a humans need. Without any of these nutrients, our bones would cease to grow, and we would slowly wilt away. We believe that since the environment on Mars is similar to that on the ocean floor on planet Earth, there may be some algae growth. However, the algae would not produce enough oxygen for humans to breathe and live.

This sums up key question number two and why humans would not be able to function on Mars.

Glossary

Terrestrial: Mass you can walk on, as opposed to gas (4 planets: Venus, Mercury, Earth, and Mars)

Fluvial: Produced by or found in a river

Oxidizing: To combine chemically with oxygen, remove electron

Cryosphere: Frozen section of Mars

Brine: Salt crystals

Stratigraphic: Branch of geology with classification nomenclature (naming) of rock

Photosynthesis: When plants grow and give off oxygen

Methanogems: A group of archae bacteria that occur in anaerobic environments gas producing.

Biogenic: Resulting from the activity of living organisms

Symbiotic: The living together in a mutually beneficial relationship of two dissimilar organisms.

Salubrious: Favorable to or promoting health

Dichotomy: Divide into to parts different or opposite parts

Key Question #3 Prototype Rationale
The following is an explanation of how we developed our prototype Martian. It is organized according to known human physiologic functioning.

Brain and Nervous System:
Our Martian will have a big brain. This is a result of commutating telepathically, and to weigh it down. In addition our Martian will have a thick skull. This is a result of the fact that the brain is very thick, so it needs to be protected. As a result of its large brain structure we hypothesize that the Martian would be of moderate to low intelligence.

We propose that their telepathy is a result of highly evolved dendritic tree structures within their brain.

Communication:
As we mentioned in the brain nervous system section, our Martian will be able to commutate telepathically. It is also important to mention that although it will be using a section of the brain that we don't use, it won't be as intelligent.
Immune and Blood System:

Our Martian's blood will be very thick. As a result, it will have very large blood vessels. It also will have super enlarged heart and lungs. Our rationale for this is,we anticipate it will survive on extremely low oxygen levels. The oxygen will be formed by algae photosynthesis.

Digestive System:
We anticipate our Martian will subsist on algae. We hypothesize that primitive plant life, such as algae, could exist on Mars. Algae utilize light energy from the Sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and hydrogen from water, to create proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. We think it's possible for algae to grow under the surface in pools of water where sunlight can reach. Then it would flow down through fissures in the ground, where our Martian would then cultivate it.

Our Martian's mouth will not have teeth, but instead will have a baleen system. A baleen system is comprised of sieve-like devices which are a series of stiff, flexible material that hangs from the upper jaw. Its mouth will be edged with hairy bristles that are behind plates that filter small organisms. Baleen is made up of keratin which is the same substance that our fingernails and hair is made up of.

Our Martian's digestive system will have one intestine and a very small stomach. This is a result of the fact that its sole source of nutrition will be water and algae.

We do believe that there will be geo-thermal springs underground near volcanoes. These springs could be a result of the large volcanic system that exists on Mars. These springs will be their primary source of water.

Skin:
Our Martian will have very thick skin because of the cold climate on Mars. The average temperature on Mars is -81° F. Even though our Martian will live underground, we anticipate the temperature will still be relatively cold. However, it will be moderated by the heat from geo-thermal springs.

Bone structure:
The bones and muscles on our Martian will be bigger and denser than humans. This is because the gravity on Mars (1/3 of Earth's gravity) is too little to support a human.

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