Greenhouse gases could breathe life into Mars

[True_Blue]

Pumping greenhouse gases into the Martian atmosphere over hundreds or even thousands of years could warm the frozen planet enough to sustain life, according to new research.

Synthetic fluorine-based gases could produce global warming on Mars while also creating an atmosphere conducive to life, say scientists at the NASA Ames Research Centre, California, US.

Conditions on Mars are currently inhospitable for advanced life. Temperatures on the Red Planet currently dip down to -120°C at night near the poles. And the atmospheric pressure on Mars is much less than on Earth as its atmosphere is thinner and its gravity lower.

In order to support life, scientists have proposed transforming Mars into an Earth-like planet in a process called terraforming. And a crucial component of this would be to warm up the planet.

more....
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6973

[ZR2]

1. don'r go messing with other planets

We've fucked this one up enough as it is.

[qazplm]

8. huh?

Ummm...odds are pretty high there is no current life on mars so not sure how you "fuck up" a lifeless rock.

[DrWeird]

2. So would a really big maytag oven

and an enormous bottle of oxygen.

[PartyPooper]

3. Send Junior up there to try it out!

He's so full of gas, anyway!

:D

:hi:

[htuttle]

4. That's it! We'll just bottle up our greenhouse gases here on Earth...

...and send them to Mars! Sounds like a win/win situation!

:crazy:

[VegasWolf]

5. Hell, I kinda like the idea of terraforming Mars. We're screwing

this one up pretty quickly!

[98geoduck]

10. Yeah, why not screw up another one! Keep manifest destination alive!

[sellitman]

6. Just send bush to Mars

He is full of hot air. Not much else though.

:)

[truth2power]

7. In one of the Star Trek films

they were terraforming a planet. Anyone remember?

[daleo]

9. Search for Spock.

Actually, the one before it started the terraforming I think. The Genesis Project.

[w4rma]

11. Cool. (nt)

[Freedomist]

12. Quadrillions of dollars of cost overruns

My guess is the next big space project will have to pretty much pay for itself. I'd guess we'll figure out a way to manufacture solar photo voltaic cells on the moon and lay them out all over the light side, then transmit the energy back in microwaves.