Mars' atmosphere is not suitable for human life. For humans to live and work there, they will need the protection of a full body suit not unlike that worn by the astronauts who walked on the moon during the Apollo program. The Mars Suit must be flexible enough to allow the astronauts to work with both cumbersome construction materials and sophisticated machinery, and at the same time keep them safe from the harsh atmosphere.
Why is the Mars atmosphere not suitable for human life?
- The air pressure on the surface of Mars is equivalent to that of Earth's atmosphere at 25 kilometers altitude, so too thin to breathe.
- Even if there was enough air pressure, there would be too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen for humans.
- The Viking Orbiter Infrared Thermal Mapper suggests that the warmest temperature may be 27 °C(81 °F) and the coldest −143 °C(−225 °F) at the winter polar caps. Actual temperature measurements from the Viking landers range from −17.2 °C(1.0 °F) to −107 °C(−161 °F).
To learn more about the Mars atmosphere, visit Wikipedia.
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