Terraforming Mars: innovation or invasion?
Terraforming Mars once sounded like science fiction. Now, thanks to advances in rocket tech and synthetic biology, scientists say it's edging into the realm of the possible.
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Terraforming Mars once sounded like science fiction. Now, thanks to advances in rocket tech and synthetic biology, scientists say it's edging into the realm of the possible.
- Just because we can terraform Mars doesn’t mean we should do so without reflecting on the consequences.
- Altering the planet too quickly could erase ancient evidence of microbial life before we’ve had a chance to study it.
- Localized experiments and sample returns are key to understanding Mars before committing to irreversible changes.
Have you ever heard of terraforming? Well, if not, you’ve probably seen it in a movie. It’s transforming another planet to give it Earth-like conditions, with a view to humans living there. Think Aliens or Red Planet (the possibility is also discussed in Interstellar).
Scientists from Pioneer Labs believe the tools for terraforming are nearly here. However, turning a dead world into a living one raises moral questions – could we be wiping out ancient alien life? And do we even have a right?
Why terraforming Mars is on the table
Erika DeBenedictis, CEO of Pioneer Labs and the lead author of a recent paper, pointed out that while terraforming Mars was once considered impossible three decades ago, advancements in technologies such as SpaceX’s Starship and synthetic biology have brought the concept within reach.
Scientists suggest we could start warming Mars by using special technologies like giant reflective sails to catch sunlight, tiny particles that absorb heat, or super-light materials to trap warmth.
Elon Musk's Starship is an example of how logistically heavy-lifting tech could be deployed to enable missions to Mars, though the authors shied away from mentioning Musk explicitly.
What we risk losing
The idea of Martians might sound wacky to some, but for a planet that's been around for 4.6 billion years, we shouldn't discount the possibility that there’s been life on Mars at some point.
Terraforming would pointedly destroy potential Martian biosignatures and any ancient life evidence.
If we alter the atmosphere or composite chemistry too quickly or extensively, then microscopic evidence of ancient microbes could be lost.
Bulldozing an archaeological site might not be the best way of going about understanding a site that has a multitude of scientific and biological nuances.
The cautious path forward
The scientists strongly stress the importance of continuing a detailed study of Mars before any large-scale terraforming effects.
Bringing Martian sample rock and soil samples back to Earth will allow scientists to analyze them with advanced instruments that we cannot send to Mars.
This would allow us to understand the makeup of Mars more comprehensively before making too rash a move.
The study also suggests small-scale experiments on Mars, like localized heating or reflective solar sails, to explore warming methods without causing irreversible harm.
“I see humanity as part of the biosphere, not separate from it. Life is precious – we know of nowhere else in the universe where it exists – and we have a duty to conserve it on Earth, but also to consider how we could begin to propagate it to other worlds,” observed co-author Robin Wordsworth. (pull quote)
Clearly, it's important to proceed with both humility and foresight because in trying to seed life, we risk erasing it.
