China will look for life on Mars and try to colonize the planet. We tell you what is known about it

What do we know about Mars?

Mars is the fourth most distant planet from the Sun and the seventh largest solar planet.

systems. The mass of the planet is 10.7% of the mass of the Earth. Named after Mars, the ancient Roman god of war.

Popular idea that Mars is inhabited by intelligentMartians, spread widely at the end of the 19th century. Numerous observations and announcements of famous people have generated the so-called Martian fever around this topic.

Earth and Mars. Author: RHorning and later modified by Scooter20

In 1899, while studying atmosphericradio interference using receivers at the Colorado Observatory inventor Nikola Tesla observed a repeating signal. He suggested that it could be a radio signal from other planets, such as Mars.

The atmosphere on Mars is 100 times smallerdensity than on Earth. For this reason, the Red Planet cannot retain heat. And therefore, the temperature on the planet is not particularly suitable for humans. On average, it is about -60 ºC. For comparison, the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere is 16 ºC. In winter, temperatures around the poles can drop sharply. Down to -125 ° C. This is much lower than the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

Surface of Mars. Author: NASA

The atmosphere of Mars is not suitable for humanorganism. The only way to make it breathable is to terraform the Red Planet. This option is not yet possible to implement. Because we do not have the technologies necessary for this. Therefore, a man on Mars will always need to use a spacesuit.

Why Colonize Mars?

Colonization of Mars is a very real solutionproblems of overpopulation of the Earth. Mineral reserves on our planet are gradually being depleted, while the level of pollution in the atmosphere and the World Ocean is increasing. A lack of vital resources can lead to both local wars and global conflicts, which will negatively affect the lives of earthlings.

There is also always the threat of a collision between the Earth and another celestial body; this can lead to a mass extinction of living beings, as happened 65 million years ago during the era of dinosaurs. 

Who tried to study the planet?

the first mission to Mars was launched in 1962— Mariner 3 is an orbital station that sent photographs of the planet. In 1972, Mariner 9 was launched, the first spacecraft to photograph the entire surface of Mars.

Mariner 9. Author: NASA

After 1971, Mars rovers began to be sent to the planet, the first was designed in the USSR. Until now, there have been only stations and robots on the planet.

The Sojourner rover explores the Yoga rock on Mars ... Author: NASA

Who wants to colonize Mars?

  • Elon Musk

Renowned engineer and founder of SpaceX,Tesla plans to colonize Mars. According to his plans, by 2025 the first people will land on Mars, and in 2028 an Alpha base will appear on the planet, where people will live.

  • NASA

NASA has its own Marsa project that has nothing to do with Elon Musk’s plans. Here, the conquest of Mars is associated with the project to create a super-heavy launch vehicle SLS, which will be used to launch the Orion spacecraft weighing about 25 tons into space.

The launch to Mars is scheduled for 2033. During this time, reserves of fuel and everything necessary for the Martian mission will be created in the orbit of the Moon - the lunar orbit will become a "jump airfield". A flight to Mars is scheduled no earlier than 2050.

  • Mars one

Mars One is a private project led by Bas Lansdorp to fly to Mars, then establish a colony and broadcast everything that happens on television.

  • Roskosmos

The first manned Russian ship"Federation" to the ISS is scheduled for 2024. The further launch program envisages that from 2027 the Federation spacecraft will be launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome on a super-heavy rocket.

What does China offer?

China's mission includes exiting and spinning in orbitMars, landing and moving on the surface of the Red Planet. If successful, the researchers will be able to study the atmosphere, relief, geological characteristics, features of the magnetic field, which will help to obtain a clue to the origin and evolution of Mars and the entire solar system.

The device should reach the Red Planet in February 2021.

The main goal of the mission is to find possible signs of life on Mars, as well as help scientists understand if conditions on this planet may change in the future so that it becomes suitable for human life.

The device will reach Mars in seven months. 

The Tianwen-1 apparatus has 13 scientificinstruments, in particular a medium-resolution survey camera (up to 100 m), a high-resolution multispectral camera (up to 0.5 m), a radar for studying the subsurface structure of the soil, a spectrometer for studying the mineral composition of the surface, a magnetometer for measuring the characteristics of the magnetic field planets, ion and neutral particle analyzer for measuring solar wind characteristics and other indicators, charged particle analyzer.

In order to study the surface of Mars, onmission, a high-resolution topographic camera was installed to obtain images of the planet's surface in 3D, a multispectral camera for studying the composition of the soil, a ground penetrating radar that can explore the surface structure up to 100 m in depth, a surface structure analyzer that can recognize more than 10 chemical elements, a magnetic detector fields, as well as a device for meteorological measurements, which can record temperature changes from -120 to 50 ° C, atmospheric pressure from 1 to 1000 Pa and wind force from 0 to 27 m / s.

The mission's tasks include studying the surface of Mars, the composition of its soil and features of the atmosphere and climatic conditions, as well as the search for water and traces of life.

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