Home. Mars will be home to our Martian crew for some time. 2 years at the minimum. With the long term health impact of deep space, off-world exploration unknown, there will be low likelihood of the initial crew staying on Mars past their first rotation.
Mars of the future - with a higher pressure atmosphere - The prospect of above ground dwellings becomes a tantalising opportunity thanks to reduced radiation exposure.
This is likely to be the case for some time after the first human crew arrives, and relief crews conduct a short hand-over before lifting off for home.
However, as the colony becomes more established, there will be more of a focus to actively terraforming the Martian surface. Human activity will likely not have much of an impact for some time. The crew will live in thermally efficient homes which will likely be powered by thermo-electric generators - similar to those powering Perseverance and Curiosity rovers.
Olympus Mons as viewed by Mars Express HRSC orbiter. The largest volcano in the solar system offers a commanding prospect for human exploration. Credit: jccwrt/ Reddit
As a result, there will be little means to start to generate a warming atmosphere on Mars.
There could be some argument for fabricating and releasing high (global warming potential) GWP materials into the Martian atmosphere to help speed up thermal gain to drive a greenhouse effect.
The good news is that the atmosphere of Mars is about 10 km in height, whereas the atmosphere on Earth is 6 km deep as measured from the surface. This means that there is a higher probability that the GWP molecules - likely some form of chloro-fluoro-carbons CFCs, or possibly SF6 - sulfur hexafluoride - offers a 22,200 x multiplier of the global warming effect of CO2 on its own over a 100 year period.
Because it will take time for the warming to start to take effect, the crew could even send canisters of gas ahead of time. Releasing the gas, the crew could observe from Earth, the effect of the gas using the Hope orbiter mission from the UAE, which specifically observes the seasons and atmospheric changes on Mars.
Table of GWP for various CFC gases. Top of the table for impact is SF6. However C2F2 may be more effective on Mars - because it has a boiling point greater than the freezing point of carbon dioxide. This is critical because there is already plenty of solid CO2 frozen at below -74 degC. By opting for a lower boiling point gas, it enables a greater chance that the agent will stay in gaseous form and do its work to heat the atmosphere. Credit: Dr Engr H. Shafqat Kharal
Releasing this gas into the atmosphere in significant quantities would offer some clear increased rate of heating in the atmosphere. This in turn would drive first the melting of CO2 at the ice-caps - with a freezing point of - 74 degC. After these huge quantities of gas start heating the planet, solid water-ice would take its turn to start melting.
This would serve 2 purposes over time:
1) Adding density to Mars' atmosphere - The harsh UV and cosmic irradiation of the Martian surface means that it is a very lethal place for humans and indeed all life. By adding gas, material between that radiation and the surface, it raises the chances that one day, humans can step outside with no protection, only an oxygen supply.
2) Enabling heat transfer around Mars - Water is an excellent heat transfer agent, owing to its high specific heat capacity. Between the Global Ocean currents and the jet-stream, storms and cloud movements, Earth has a great benefit of moving this glorious liquid - and embodied heat around the planet. This ensures that not one part gets too hot or too cold (even though we see 'extremes of +60 degC in deserts, and - 70degC in Arctic/ Antarctic wastes). So too, Mars and its people, our future generations can start to enjoy such temperature management.
You can reach me on Twitter: @Ronnie_Writes
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