If you’ve ever wondered how many people it will take to start a new civilization on Mars, you have your answer.
At least 110.
Space expert Jean-Marc Salotti estimates that it will take at least that many people to start a new civilization on the Red Planet, according to a study he published earlier this month.
This artist’s concept shows the Mars helicopter on the Martian surface.
(NASA / JPL-Caltech)
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“To survive on Mars, some assumptions are made for the organization of the settlers and the question of engineering,” Salotti wrote in the study summary. “The minimum number of settlers was calculated and the result is 110 individuals.”
The study has been published in Scientific Reports.
Having at least 110 people, a number that Salotti recognizes is a “relatively low number”, it would allow people to share enough items and products without running out of supplies.
The study notes that Earth may not be helpful to Martian civilization, citing a number of different factors.
“In the event of war on Earth, important infrastructure in the space sector can be destroyed, causing a long-term disruption to space travel,” added Salotti, who comes from the French Institute of Bordeaux National Polytechnic.
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“It could also happen that there is a conflict between the land governments and the settlers and, later, a group declares its independence and tries to survive on its own. Another reason could be the will of a new government to stop the solution process because of the increasing cost. “
Similar to the 2015 movie, “The Martian,” Salotti assumes that the inhabitants will live in an oxygen-filled dome (there is no atmosphere on Mars) and will grow plants in greenhouses that are made of glass with reflectors to provide “enough light.”
This InSight seismometer image was taken on the 110th Martian day, or sun, of the mission. The seismometer is called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, or SIX. (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
To create “suitable soil” for plants, Salotti wrote a mixture of rocks, salts, water and “organic waste and decomposers (insects and microorganisms) are needed.” The water will be extracted from the frozen ground and recycled with natural filters. “he added.
Earlier this month, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote a letter to his employees that the company’s top priority is its Starship rocket, a reusable rocket that could fly 100 people to Mars.
In the past, Musk came up with the idea of ”bombing” the Red Planet to make it habitable, an idea he reiterated last year. The tech executive has also said there is a “70 percent chance” that he will move to Mars.
NASA’s long-term goal is to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s. Before that, the space agency will send the Perseverance rover to the Red Planet next month in hopes of detecting any fossilized evidence of extraterrestrial beings, in addition to other tasks.
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