Technological advancement has been able to take mankind places, both on the earth and outside it. Now, scientists claim to have come up with three key technologies or killer apps that can successfully lead to human colonization on Mars.
According to Space.com, scientists are claiming that these new technologies can make it possible to send supplies to a potential colony on Mars. They are also of the opinion that without the establishment of a fully functional supply chain, it is not possible to set up a human colony on the red planet. This supply chain will consist of the aforementioned three killer apps, which are being considered as the economic stepping stones to colonize Mars.
The first killer app is associated with the mining of asteroids, which will involve a spacecraft excavating the rocky material present on the asteroid and then accumulate the water molecules chemically bound to the asteroids clay minerals. The water will be later split into constituent hydrogen and oxygen at an orbiting depot to be used as rocket fuel. The fuel will be then injected into a recently launched satellite via a space tug that will help the satellite on its final orbital voyage.
The second killer app is referred to the 3D printed space antennas that would encircle the earth in a geostationary orbit. The 3D printed space antennas also known as "internet satellite" will stay fixed to one location over the earth. On the demand of the increased data requirement of a particular city or place, it will split its beams and provide more capacity to that place on earth. The third killer app is associated with beaming clean solar power to earth via an array of thin, moveable mirrors. This is a part of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program.
According to Wired, the Earth can get clean sustainable energy from the moon as well. Silicon dioxide, which comprises of lunar rocks and dust, can be turned into a glass for reflecting the solar rays for using to get energy. It can also be turned into photovoltaic cells that can support the energy requirement of the entire earth in the not-so-distant future.
The scientists opine that the three killer apps are related to each other and will successfully be able to give rise to more industries in the space that can lead to the colonization of Mars. The scientists, as well as space entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, are much excited about the prospect of these killer apps.
