Chapter 204, Mars

In the void of the solar system, a huge planet is constantly moving around the sun as it has been for a long time. However, unlike most planets in the solar system, this planet's rotation direction is from east to west, which is completely opposite to the earth. If it is on Mars, the sun rises from the west and sets in the east.

Mars is slowly moving along its orbit, and the "Ocean" spacecraft is getting closer and closer to Mars. When it is about 2 days away from Mars, the reverse deceleration plasma engine on the spacecraft starts to work, and the speed of the spacecraft begins to decrease continuously so that it can be captured by the gravity of Mars.

"Ding~~" Although there is still a day's journey to Mars, the scientists led by Li Fu have already started working in an all-round way. All kinds of instruments are turned on, and all the data about Mars will soon be obtained.

When on Earth, scientists can measure distant celestial bodies based on various instruments such as astronomical telescopes, and the data is very accurate. The scientists of Fuyun Group are so close to Mars that there is naturally no problem at all, and they can also get more accurate data.

Mars has a mass of 6.4219×10kg, which is about 1/10 of the Earth and 9 times that of the Moon (this can also reflect the importance of the Moon to humans, the planet closest to you is only 9 times heavier than the Moon), with a diameter of half that of the Earth, a volume of only 15% of the Earth, and a surface area of ​​only the size of the Earth's land area.

The surface gravity is about 2.5 times that of the Moon and 2/5 of that of the Earth, which means that an ant that can lift 2 catties on Earth can lift an object weighing 5 catties on Mars (uh, can an ant lift something that heavy? Author Jun).

The autobiography period is 24.6229 hours, while that of the Earth is 23 hours, 56 minutes and 3 seconds, which means that a day on Mars is more than half an hour over 24 hours; the revolution period is 687 days, while that of the Earth is 365.24219 days, which means that a year on Mars is 687 days, and it takes Earthlings almost 2 years, while it takes Martians just over a year.

Compared to the Earth, which has only one little brother, the Moon, Mars has two satellites, Phobos and Deimos, but the mass of the little brothers is completely different. Many of Mars' satellites can only be regarded as large meteorites, and their shapes are still very irregular. They are not even spheres. They really are not even spheres. The mass of the two satellites is not enough to form enough gravity to shape their own image, which is completely different from our Moon.

Mars' orbit is elliptical, so in the place where it is exposed to the sun, the temperature difference between the perihelion and the aphelion is nearly 160 degrees Celsius, which has a huge impact on the climate of Mars.

The average temperature on Mars is about minus 63 degrees, but it has a huge temperature difference from minus 133 degrees in winter to nearly 27 degrees in summer daytime. That is to say, most of the time here is colder than the coldest North and South Poles on Earth. The coldest time is even minus 133 degrees, and the hottest time is only 27 degrees. The temperature difference changes greatly. Even the penguin said that he was going to be frozen, let alone humans. It's too cold here. Let's go back to Earth.

The density of Mars' atmosphere is only about 1% of that of Earth. It is very dry and low in temperature. The average surface temperature is minus 55℃. Water and carbon dioxide are easy to freeze. The main components of the atmosphere are carbon dioxide (95.3%), nitrogen (2.7%), argon (1.6%), trace amounts of oxygen (0.15%) and water vapor (0.03%).

The main components of Earth's atmosphere are nitrogen, accounting for 78.1%; oxygen accounts for 20.9%; argon accounts for 0.93%; and there are small amounts of carbon dioxide, rare gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon) and water vapor.

By comparison, we found that the carbon dioxide content of Mars' atmosphere is too high, and oxygen is almost negligible. The difference in rare gases is not big. It is not suitable for the survival of Earthlings at all. There is little atmosphere and the oxygen content is too low!

...

"Can this place really be transformed into a place suitable for human habitation? It is simply impossible to accomplish!" Faced with such harsh conditions, even the omnipotent scientists shook their heads. It is too difficult!

"It's interesting when there are difficulties. We scientists have to accomplish those impossible things!" Li Fu saw other scientists shaking their heads and quickly cheered them up.

"Li Fu, everything else about Mars is fine, but the atmosphere and water, I think, are the biggest challenges. The temperature is low, so we test it by setting up reflectors in space to increase the light and temperature, but the water and atmosphere..."

Li Fu's teacher Liu Yi looked at the data of Mars one by one, and couldn't help shaking his head.

"Don't worry, everyone, look at the north and south poles of Mars. The reflectivity here is very high. Maybe it's really like Uncle Sam's scientists estimated that there is solid carbon dioxide here, and there may be water in its deep layers. And everyone, look at the traces left by the ancient lakes and rivers on Mars. I think there is a high possibility that there is water on Mars!" Compared with others, Li Fu seemed more confident.

"The temperature is so low, even if there is liquid, it may not be water!" Liu Shiying also shook his head and opposed Li Fu's optimism. Scientists are like this. I don't care who you are. As long as you can't convince me and can't produce real evidence, I dare to oppose you.

"Whether there is water or not, we will know tomorrow. We can go to Mars and get some samples and find out!" Li Futan smiled.

As we get closer and closer to Mars, the data obtained by scientists are constantly being revised. The red Mars is slowly enlarged. Because of the thin atmosphere, the surface of Mars can be clearly observed from the space of Mars. The whole planet is red and yellow.

Mars is basically a desert planet, with sand dunes and gravel all over the surface. The geological activity on Mars is relatively inactive. Most of the surface landforms were formed in the more active period in ancient times. There are dense craters, volcanoes and canyons, including the highest mountain in the solar system - Olympus Mons and the largest canyon - Mariner Valley.

Another unique terrain feature is the obvious difference between the northern and southern hemispheres. The south is an ancient highland full of craters, while the north is a younger plain. The difference is very obvious.

At the same time, as we have seen before, there is a thick polar cap at the north and south poles of Mars. As for the composition, scientists have been able to determine it completely, that is, dry ice and water!

"There is really water on Mars!" After getting the confirmation, many scientists including Liu Yi were ecstatic. The question that has been bothering earth scientists for hundreds of years has finally been accurately answered.

You should know that since the last century, when human beings shifted their attention from the earth to the interstellar universe, Mars has always been a planet that humans have imagined to be suitable for future immigration. The debate over whether there is water on Mars has also been bothering scientists on Earth. Uncle Sam and the Big Polar Bear have even launched many probes to Mars.

However, due to the limitations of technology and long distance, the question of whether there is water on Mars has never been accurately answered.

Now, scientists who have reached the orbit of Mars can finally confirm that the polar caps covering the north and south poles of Mars really contain water, and the water content should not be small.

"There is really water!" Li Fu, who also received accurate information, smiled. For the transformation of planets for immigration, the most urgent need is water! As long as there is water, other conditions can be transformed by scientific means, but if there is no water, everything is in vain!

You can't say that you can transport water from the earth. You should know that even with the huge size of the "Ocean", you can't transport much water at a time, and this amount of water is even more insignificant for a planet.

"If all the ice on Mars melts, the current density of the Martian atmosphere can be increased by 20 times, that is, 20% of the Earth's atmospheric density. At the same time, you can get about 10,000 cubic kilometers of water, which is only 1/35 of the Earth's fresh water resources and 1/130,000 of the Earth's water resources!"

Li Quanjiang frowned and calculated the water resources on Mars. There is water on Mars, but the water is too little! Only 1/35 of the Earth's fresh water resources and one thirteen thousandth of the Earth's water resources, too little!

With such a small amount of water resources, except for various unusable ones that are released into the air, the water that can be used by humans will be even less!

There is water, but the amount is too little, which makes the scientists who have just been happy for a while shake their heads!

The density of the atmosphere can be increased by 20 times, which is very good. You should know that the ice here is basically composed of dry ice and water. After melting them, carbon dioxide can rise into the atmosphere and increase the density of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is also a greenhouse gas, which is very helpful for increasing the temperature of Mars.

"Li Fu, there is too little water, not even enough for mud. The carbon dioxide content in the polar caps of the north and south poles of Mars is too high, and the water content is too little." Liu Shiying said with a helpless smile. What he said about mud means that the water evaporates and falls on Mars in the form of precipitation.

"Things should be looked at from two sides. There is water on Mars. Maybe there will be liquid water under the thick north and south ice caps of Mars. At that time, maybe primitive life can be found."

Compared with the disappointment of others, Liu Yi was very happy. Although the water content on Mars is low, there is still water after all. If there is water, there may be life. This is very helpful for him to study the origin of life and extraterrestrial life.

"Unless there is still a lot of water underground on Mars, the little water found on Mars now is not enough to transform Mars into a planet suitable for human habitation!" Liu Shiying shook his head, still obsessed with whether Mars could be transformed into a new cradle for mankind.

"If Mars is to be transformed into a planet suitable for human habitation, the water resources needed must at least cover the plains in the northern hemisphere of Mars, and the water resources needed must be at least 30 times the current amount, that is, all the fresh water on Earth must be moved here."

"Don't worry, there will be bread, there will be houses, and there will be water naturally." Li Fu said confidently. A lot of water has been found on Mars, so the scientists' estimate that there is a lot of water on Jupiter's satellites is probably not wrong.

Water resources are widely present in the universe. Some studies believe that the water resources contained in Europa, a satellite of Jupiter, are several times more than the water resources on the entire Earth.

PS: Please vote, please!