Terraforming Mars. Edited by Martin Beech, Joseph Seckbach and Richard Gordon. Series: Astrobiology Perspectives on Life of the Universe. Copyright: 2022.
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Google Books preview: Terraforming Mars Terraforming Mars presents three interlocking chapters by G. Stewart, the inventor of the Mars Terraformer Transfer (MATT) and contact for the Lake Matthew Team. These chapters point the way to a protected Martian settlement built with unprecedented economy of rocket stages. When building a hab network with MATT and ISRU options, the Earth-launch rocket stage count can be two to four orders of magnitude smaller than that of a baseline SpaceX design; i.e., cutting Earth-launch rocket stages for hab construction by a factor of 100 to 10,000. Chapter manuscript PDFs are available from the author upon request. |
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From the volume description: “This book provides a thorough scientific review of how Mars might eventually be colonized, industrialized, and transformed into a world better suited to human habitation…. Geoengineering and terraforming, at their core, have the same goal — that is, to enhance (or revive) the ability of a specific environment to support human life, society, and industry. The chapters in this text, written by experts in their respective fields, are accordingly in resonance with the important and ongoing discussions concerning the human stewardship of global climate systems. In this sense, the text is both timely and relevant and will cover issues relating to topics that will only grow in their relevance in future decades. The notion of terraforming Mars is not a new one, as such, and it has long played as the background narrative in many science fiction novels. This book, however, deals exclusively with what is physically possible, and what might conceivably be put into actual practice within the next several human generations.” |
| Volume chapters by G. Stewart: |
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Stewart, G., 2021. Efficient Martian Settlement with the Mars Terraformer Transfer (MATT) and the Omaha Trail. Terraforming Mars, p.51. Abstract: SpaceX ambition for a Martian settlement demands novel efficiencies in habitat (hab) construction and provisioning. The Mars Terraformer Transfer (MATT) invention can achieve unprecedented hab construction efficiency by eliminating the need for massive pressure vessels. MATT uses existing planetary-defense technology and complementary devices to redirect a small solar system body (SSSB) to Mars impact in 2036 and/or 2061. Impact produces “Omaha Crater”, a site specially structured by invention methods with warm crater floor depressions suitable for reservoirs and terrestrial flora, and suitable also for construction of mass-efficient subaqueous habs. These habs are sunlit, open spaces, well protected against environmental hazards. An initial Omaha Crater hab network can offer roughly one hundred million cubic meters of pressurized volume, using cargo mass and cargo fleet scaled two orders of magnitude below pressure-vessel requirement. In a separate presentation, a speculative transport architecture is sketched in Mars orbit. This “Omaha Trail” illustrates efficient settlement provisioning through integration of Deimos in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) propellant, non-equatorial Martian “space elevators”, and electromagnetic tethered Deimos rail launchers. The Omaha Trail would enable cargo transport between low Earth orbit (LEO) and a Martian settlement with neither a dedicated Earth-launch LEO cargo tanker fleet nor its supporting Super Heavy fleet, cutting Earth-launch cargo rocket stages by 80%. Additionally, water on the Omaha Trail and within MATT’s Omaha Crater could conceivably complement “Omaha Field” magnetostatics to give the comprehensive radiation protection of an “Omaha Shield”; enabling an unlimited Mars career, wherein no career-limiting radiation dose is absorbed over any career duration. |
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Stewart, G., 2021. Omaha Field – A Magnetostatic Cosmic Radiation Shield for a Crewed Mars Facility. Terraforming Mars, p.283. Abstract: An artificial localized geomagnetic field, or magnetostatic field, can protect a crewed Mars facility from cosmic rays. This chapter’s “Omaha Field” design is modeled after the results and suggestions of Motojima and Yanagi 2008. Simulation indicates that the illustrative field deflects cosmic ray protons to 1 GeV. The field deflects all solar storm protons, nearly all solar flare protons, and over 90% of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) protons. The Omaha Field design applies existing technology from superconducting power lines, superconducting solenoids, and superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) units. The illustrative design is scaled to protect the floor of a crater 9 km in diameter, while adhering to a magnetic flux density safety limit of 5E-4 T across the crater floor. Power requirement is under 80 kW. Proton deflection limit decreases by roughly 100 MeV for each 100 m decrease in vertical separation of electrical cables. |
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Stewart, G., 2021. Red Gold – Practical Methods for Precious-Metal Survey, Open-Pit Mining, and Open-Air Refining on Mars. Terraforming Mars, p.389. Abstract: New technology has enabled a global survey of Martian surficial nickel-iron meteoric ore deposits, a survey with direct application to Martian precious-metal mining claims. Mars’ history of low-speed asteroid impacts and its enrichment in highly siderophile elements suggest the presence of commercial precious-metal ore within some impact craters. Given a positive future survey result, a first Mars base, such as SpaceX’s “Mars Base Alpha”, may be sited in a metal-rich crater, to function from the outset as a mining camp. Here an automated facility can leverage existing technologies and common Martian resources to extract and refine metals. This “Red Gold” facility can operate in open air, without pressure vessels, and using very little consumable cargo from Earth. Presented methods illustrate a practical Red Gold process, end-to-end. A foundry can output sintered and 3D printed alloy products. A refinery can output not just bullion, but also 3D printed fine jewelry. Daily gold production of 0.001 cubic meters, plus all concomitant precious-metal products, can give annual revenue of some tens of billions of dollars – startup revenue sufficient for self-financed geometric mine growth. A growing mine could underwrite Martian research, city-scale settlements, and possibly even terraformation efforts; however, the character of ventures may hinge upon mine ownership, hence upon claims. If a totalitarian regime were to secure the claims, ventures would bear an indelible totalitarian stamp; therefore, a rapid American survey is recommended and outlined. |
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