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Originally Posted by Damburger
Determining if terraforming is possible. It may sound like ridiculously forward-thinking, but pretty much all space exploration falls under that category doesn't it?
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I disagree. “Terraforming” is necessarily on a scale too large to undertake anywhere in the foreseeable future. Almost by definition, an “Earthlike” planet will have to be the result of millions of years of evolving and changing life forms. There really is no shortcut.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Damburger
If we want a permanant, self-sufficient colony it needs outdoor agriculture. Humans simply require too much land to sustain them for the glass domes we see in artists sketches to support a significant and growing population.
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They are artists because they are not qualified to be scientists. IMO, it is almost certain that Martian colonies will be underground, in excavated tunnels, or natural caves and lava tubes. The extent of the underground agricultural areas will be, by necessity, equal to the task of supporting the contemporary population.