Colonization: Mars

Crazedwraith · Post by **Crazedwraith** » 2004-08-25 03:06pm

Shroom Man 777 wrote:But can't he answer it in his opening post? It's a trend I'm starting to see. But it's not like I'm perfect...I suck, you people hate me , so...what the heck.

Better than simply been ignored like me.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-08-25 03:38pm

I notice you, Crazed. You just don't incur my wrath like Zor does.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2004-08-25 03:43pm

Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars" books are hardcore science fiction, complete opposites of Star Wars novels. They are hard to get into and sometimes all that you can do is scream in frustration and keep reading, hoping that something interesting happens. Still, you can only admire Robinson's eye for detail. I'm halfway through "Green Mars" (the second book) and looking forward to finding out what fate awaits the characters and their red home.

If the colonization of Mars interests you, look no further.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2004-08-25 03:50pm

Should I even ask how Robinson evades the problems of holding a thick enough atmosphere for humans to breath, or generating a magnetic field to hedge out all the ultraviolet?

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2004-08-25 05:01pm

I recommend reading The Case for Mars, by Robert Zubrin. Going from what I read:

Zor wrote:Ok, few basic Questions

1-When will man begin colonising mars?
2-How big will be the first Martian Colony?
3-How the Martian Colony would get power?
4-Whicth nation would run a mars colony?
5-What would the first Martian colony would be?
6-Were on mars would make a good colony sight?
7-What sort of spacecraft would deliver the colonists to mars
8-How would the first colony would be construted?
9-How would Terraforming go?
10-100 years after the colony was first established, where to you see the Colony?

1. That depends on when we decide to do so. If we tried, 2020.
2. You can send people over slowly in batches of four in special spacecraft, and later you can deal with larger colonization.
3. Nuclear fission. If they bring some hydrogen, they can make lots of methane for fuel with some nuclear power, which can be used for return rockets or internal combustion engines.
4. None seems to be trying now.
5. At first, just little cylindrical landers. Later, big brick structures covered with dirt. Martian soil is good for that sort of thing.
6. Anywhere that won't kill you would be cool.
7. Anything capable of delivering the proper amount of payload. We can make a heavy booster rocket to do that, or we could wait for cool nuclear rocket designs, or something.
8. See 5
9. Very slowly.
10. On Mars. Can you predict 100 years in advance?

Crazedwraith · Post by **Crazedwraith** » 2004-08-25 05:03pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:I notice you, Crazed. You just don't incur my wrath like Zor does.

Really? Well that bring tears of joy to my face

Not ignored just unworthy of comment. kewl.

Anyway Mars. It'll never happen. It'll coat to much. We'll use mass murder to control population growth rather than colonizing planets.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-08-25 06:45pm

SirNitram wrote:Should I even ask how Robinson evades the problems of holding a thick enough atmosphere for humans to breath, or generating a magnetic field to hedge out all the ultraviolet?

They don't really address the magnetic field, since Mars has a very faint one currently. As for the atmosphere, they acknowledge the fact that any manmade one will last only 100,000 years, but that's "good enough".

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-08-25 06:48pm

Oberleutnant wrote:Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars" books are hardcore science fiction, complete opposites of Star Wars novels. They are hard to get into and sometimes all that you can do is scream in frustration and keep reading, hoping that something interesting happens. Still, you can only admire Robinson's eye for detail. I'm halfway through "Green Mars" (the second book) and looking forward to finding out what fate awaits the characters and their red home.

If the colonization of Mars interests you, look no further.

The worst thing with the trilogy is that there is basically *no* character evolution whatsoever.
The characters introduced in the first book don't change at all. They still are the same persons after some hundred years of events.
That irritated me the most.
And the fact that he describes every friggin rock on that planet...

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2004-08-25 06:57pm

Dahak wrote:And the fact that he describes every friggin rock on that planet...

Or every single task some character does in one day (well, not quite, but you get the point).

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2004-08-25 08:07pm

Oberleutnant wrote:Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars" books are hardcore science fiction, complete opposites of Star Wars novels. They are hard to get into and sometimes all that you can do is scream in frustration and keep reading, hoping that something interesting happens. Still, you can only admire Robinson's eye for detail. I'm halfway through "Green Mars" (the second book) and looking forward to finding out what fate awaits the characters and their red home.

If the colonization of Mars interests you, look no further.

Scream in frustration and hope IN VAIN that something happens. I am never reading another of his (or is it her?) books again. If KSR wrote a porno sequel to Krull starring Claudia Christian I wouldn't read it. He's that boring.

I'd seriously rather read a KJA book than one of his. At least SOMEthing will happen.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2004-08-31 08:26am

Super-Gagme wrote:Zor reminds me of Evilcat. Except more annoying...

Try to at least comment on the thread little boy.

Super-Gagme · Post by **Super-Gagme** » 2004-08-31 03:19pm

Keevan_Colton wrote:
Super-Gagme wrote:Zor reminds me of Evilcat. Except more annoying...
Try to at least comment on the thread little boy.

Okay you just resurrected a thread to make a stab at me simply because of a clash we had YESTERDAY. Where are the mods?