9 thoughts on “Location For A Mars Colony?”

  2. How dangerous can “geological activity” on Mars be?
    Earth seem far more geologically active, but if we selecting active areas or interesting places on Mars, it seems we could making an apparent non problem, be a possible problem.
    Or it seems we need to know the history of activity in region over decades of periods of time.
    This seems less of problem in terms exploratory bases, as compared to settlements.

    1. First we have to get a rover there to go inside *and* a base station on Mars to transmit the discovery back. Direct human involvement optional.

    2. Learning the age of these different flood events would help. We also need a better idea how sturdy Mars geology is. Would a cave need a lot of engineered reinforcement to be habitable?

  3. In my lifetime, I have done a lot of very stupid/dangerous things…Wild Weasel pilot (and ejected from an F4), deep sea diver, climbed the highest mountains on 4 continents, sport skydiving, etc…

    There is no way you will get me alive and conscious, into a cave.

    Which pisses me off: I was promised colonies on Luna, and Mars by now…

    1. That’s kind of funny, because despite my long-seated claustrophobia, I have no problem with caves (though I’m not a spelunker). I’ve done miles in both Mammoth and Carlsbad. But cave diving? No effing way.

      1. I’ve seen cave divers compare their dives to spacewalks.

        The European Space Agency agrees! See http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Caves/Highlights/Underground_and_wet

        “underground and wet” says it all, but the whole caption is “Astronauts from five space agencies around the world are taking part in ESA’s CAVES training course– Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behaviour and performance Skills.”

        See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESA_CAVES

        It would be amusingly quirky if you’d jump at the chance to make a spacewalk but would refuse to go on a cave dive through a wide open cave. How about a cave dive in a large cave in a spacesuit?

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