What will happen on Mars by 2058!

The State Of Colonies On Mars Right Now

Before we can look at the future of Mars, we honestly need to think about where are with Mars right now. Which is…a work in progress let’s say. That’s fair, right?

In truth, the state of Mars right now is one of exploration and research. Scientists from NASA, SpaceX and other fields in astronomy are working to get answers and information as to how humanity might live on Mars, and what we can do once we land there. Both NASA and SpaceX are working on rockets that will enact the first manned missions to Mars, which is well ahead of where we were in the first decade of the 2000’s, so that’s indeed progress.

Of course, none of this would’ve been possible without certain revelations about Mars, including that there is indeed water on it, which is going to be a very key factor in trying to make colonies work on the planet. As any supplies that would be brought would be very limited in number and in weight in order to ensure safe passage for the passengers on the shuttle.

Speaking of which, both NASA and SpaceX are also working on enhanced rockets and shuttles to help ferry people to Mars. Because this journey will be much longer and more intense than any manned mission in history. The moon voyage took only a couple days to get there, and the same to get back, but this would take weeks, if not months depending on final speeds.

So as you can see, we still have a lot of research and information that needs to be found before even attempting to launch into space. Because there is still many things we don’t know, and what we don’t know can kill us.

But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn and adjust as we go along. And when that time comes, things will be very different.

2022

In terms of getting to Mars, 2022 is a very important year, for the very simple reason that this is when genius and stargazer Elon Musk wants to launch his first craft into space to go to populate Mars. Which means that we’re less than a few years away from this happening. That’s quite soon when you really think about it.

But what exactly is his mission? Will it be full-on colonization? Not quite, he has a more simple plan to smart benefitting his rather genius intellect.

Because he knows that any mission to Mars that would involve colonization must first be done in steps. And the first steps is to ensure that they can just reach Mars with his Big Falcon rockets that he’s got SpaceX working on.

So what is the initial plan for 2022? Easy, he’s going to send cargo ships of a sort to the red planet in the hopes that they will both make it to there and land on the planet with no issues. If that works, then he’ll move on with the next phase of his plan.

And of course, should something happen in flight, they can rejigger the rockets and shuttle they have planned for the first manned flight to Mars and put the updates and fixes needed to ensure the flights safety on that one before launching it into space.

There’s also another hidden benefit to using the cargo for the first flight. Mainly, they can still be working on advancements for their flights and their rockets in the meantime. Because it’s going to be a while before that second flight, so why stop working when you can make things even better?

It may all seem a little complicated, but trust me when I say that when it comes to making things work in regards to space travel, you need to make sure that one part of the plan will work before ever risking a human life.

2024

Ok, so let’s assume that Elon Musk’s plan works, and that his cargo ships reach Mars intact and that the Mars weather and other conditions don’t destroy the cargo themselves upon landing. What next?

Well, that would be people, but to be clear, he’s not going to send a whole colony’s worth of people in one go, that would be foolish and stupid and risky, and he knows that. So, not unlike the cargo ships, he’s going to send a limited amount of people to live on Mars for about 9 months in 2024.

The goal of this “first phase” is simple, he wants to get the people to Mars (call that Step 1) and then see how they’re able to interact on the planet, how well the cargo supplies hold up, and of course, set up the first “home” on the planet. Then, see how things go over the course of time.

Very methodical, isn’t it? Well, that’s what you need to do when you’re colonizing a world, especially one that you’ve only really been looking at from afar. We can only speculate how we’d react on Mars because the only thing we’ve sent there are rovers, probes, and satellites. And while they were helpful in getting things like information and samples and occasionally rocks, they can’t tell us how a human would react on Mars.

These first colonists are vital to understand if humanity can truly live on Mars AND survive there long-term, which is a key aspect of this whole venture.

Elon Musk intends to have a livable base, generators that will run off of various power sources on Mars to ensure they don’t run out of power, and more. So they’ll at the very least be able to last the first nine months. Barring something unfortunate of course. Then, once that’s all taken care of, they’ll fly back to Earth and be put under immediate observation.

They’ll be tested to see how their bodies have reacted to the Mars gravity and climate, see if there are any illnesses that can be detected, are they malnourished or anything of the like. All this data helps both Musk and other space science institutions because that’s data they honestly don’t have right now, and it can influence any further missions to Mars.

Oh which SpaceX isn’t the only ones planning for, and they’ll be going about it in a slightly different way…

source: Nasa

2026

They say that competition breeds excellence, and that’s true to an extent. And as such, when Elon Musk years previous announced his goal to go to Mars, he got himself a rival in the form of Mars One. Their goal was to launch by 2026 the first part of their own Mars mission. Like Musk, the first step in their mission was to send various kinds of equipment and cargo to Mars. Their plans were to go farther than Musk though, they were going to send an entire habitat center for the astronauts to live in, and then give them solar panels for generators, satellites to establish communications and research, and even given them various kinds of tools to perform tests on Mars.

It’s all very elaborate, and it was clear that they were serious about the endeavor because they actually started sending out applications for those who might want to get a seat on the mission to Mars. Over 200,000 people applied for that! Think about that, 200,000 people were willing to go beyond Earth to a planet that is very inhospitable and try to live there despite all the dangers that were present. That honestly shows how much people want to colonize Mars, or at the very least, be a part of something bigger: the colonization of the universe.

Very romantic, I know.

The problem though is that like many ventures that dare to dream, their dream got canceled. Or in this case, shut down. As of 2019, the Mars One program was shut down due to lack of funding. Which usually would be a deterrent for things like NASA and SpaceX, right? Wrong. It’s only fueling them to go farther in their research and make sure that they can truly make their various time tables and try to establish colonies on Mars. Because if they don’t, you can honestly say that no one likely will.

2026-2030

So one spacefaring mission to Mars is gone, but SpaceX is still in the running, as is NASA, but let’s focus on Musk’s plan for Mars colonization. So if he does make it to Mars with people in 2024, and is able to get them to stay on the planet without various issues for 9 months, gets the data he needs to ensure a longer term trip to Mars…what then? Well…colony life begins.

The goal of the second mission will be to help not just expand the colony, but help expand the potential of the colony. Including giving them more materials and equipment to work with as they try and truly establish an everlasting colony on Mars.

One of the ways that Elon Musk and company intend to do that is via “space cranes”. No, really. He wants to make cranes that’ll be able to go up into space, grab equipment from the shuttles that orbit it, and then bring it down to the research base so that the colonists can use it. This would allow more speedy travel, and less work for the colonists themselves. Not to mention, it would allow for the transport of heavier materials without the fear of losing them during flight. Plus, the cranes will be reusable for some time, ensuring their worth.

How many people will be sent on these colonies is technically unknown. But I wouldn’t put it past Musk to try and go 2-3 times the amount that he sent in the “exploration” trip if you will. After all, the point of a colony is to have multiple people on it and thriving, and that’s the mission of the second group.

By this time, and through subsequent supply launches, the colony will grow in ways to make it seem more like a city. The homes that they’ll have will be more elaborate. The food that they have won’t just be from supplies that they get or procured, but ones that they can likely grow themselves. The concept of which has already been proven, and will no doubt be refined by mission No.2.

In many ways, the years surrounding Mission No.2 will be the most important of the Mars missions so far. And not for just living there, but WANTING to live there long term.

New Life, New Feelings On Life

Something that we take for granted on Earth is that we have this familiar routine that go through in our lives. Often times it’s something like: Wake up, go to work, have lunch, go back to work, come home, do housework, relax, and go to sleep.

It’s simple, it’s basic…it’s how do things on Earth. On Mars though, that’s not how things will be. Every day won’t be the same to start because you’re trying to build a colony. Which is why the first couple groups of people going to Mars will be ones who are specialists in their fields and are picked to help further the colony.

This gives them a purpose and helps them through some of the “smaller” moments of living on Mars. Such as only seeing these people for the period of time they are there. Only having talks with their family via communications that’ll take about 20 minutes to get from Earth to Mars and vice versa. This isn’t just a physical journey anymore, it’s a mental one, an emotional one.

And that can fuel what will happen as we go further with the idea of a human colony on Mars. The idea of doing it is simple and inspiring. But actually doing it long term? Living on a planet with only a few groups of people to start? That can be harrowing.

But if we get through it, if we endure, then the future is upon to us.

2050

2050 is a big date in the minds of many people, including Elon Musk. Because in the minds of scientists, astronomers, and more, 2050 is a year where should not only be on Mars, but be starting to thrive on it. Musk himself has said that by 2050 we should be able to have a fully functioning city on Mars as long as we prepped ahead of time and have had no setbacks.

And if that is the case, that would begin a whole new life for the human race. Granted, it’s just a dream right now, but, if it does happen, it would be a big moment, and would set the stage for the many years to come.

2058

So we’ve made it to Mars, we’ve lived there for a couple decades now and life is actually pretty decent on it. Which brings us to the question we started the whole topic with, what will Mars be like by 2058?

Obviously, this is all speculation, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun speculating!

First and foremost, barring unforeseen events (like World War III), once we establish a colony on Mars that can thrive, we’ll keep sending more people to make more colonies. So by 2058, it’s very possible that we’ll have full cities with thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people living on mars. As by that time, we’ll have figured out how to build Martian cities (likely via domes like sci-fi movies and shows predicted) and how to power them via various energy sources.

There’s also the question of terraforming. Or warping the planet to our needs. By 2058, we might have the ability to not just terraform the planet, but it could already be terraformed! So the red planet might not be so red anymore. There’s even talks of using mirrored satellites to melt the polar ice caps and make oceans on Mars. Which would obviously make things even better for the people living there.

Finally, let’s talk space travel. In 2019, it takes a long time to get from Earth to Mars, no matter what craft you’re flying. But by 2058? We could potentially have space travel so fast that it’ll be like a regular commute from your home to your work. Meaning that not only will we be able to Mars quickly. People can go there for vacations, or if you’re on Mars and want to see friends on Earth, all you have to do is book a flight.

The potential is limitless, but it all starts with a single step. And that’s why many are trying to get us to Mars, so we can take that first step.