Space Housing, Part 5: How we will live on Mercury (or not)
With the colonization of the Moon and the space colonies, everything is relatively clear - there are developments, there are construction plans, there are even possible contractors, there were already people on the Moon. Various schemes have been developed for the exploration of Mars , one of the projects is occupied by SpaceX Ilona Mask. Several successful flights to Venus made it possible to find out a lot of information, on the basis of which scientists think over the probability of finding a person on it.
Mercury is more complicated. It is too close to the Sun, it is very hot on it, and only two vehicles flew to it. But is it necessary to colonize it?
Mercury belongs to the terrestrial planets on a par with Venus and Mars. By physical characteristics, it is similar to the moon. The atmosphere of Mercury is rarefied, it has no natural satellites. The core of the planet is 83% of its total volume and is in a liquid state.
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Assyrian astronomers were the first to observe Mercury in the 14th century BC. The planet was associated with various gods, including the god of wisdom and the scribal art of Naboo. And the Romans saw in it the god of commerce Mercury, as the planet quickly moves across the sky.
Galileo Galilei connected a telescope to research at the beginning of the 17th century. The observations of Johannes Kepler, Pierre Gasendi and Giovanni Zupi proved that Mercury orbits the Sun. In the 1880s, Giovanni Schiaparelli suggested that the rotation period is 88 days. And I did not miscalculate: according to modern data, it is 87.969 days.
Mercury is the closest planet to our Sun. This complicates the observation of her. If our beloved Hubble telescope tries to direct the lens toward Mercury, then in the process of photographing it simply burns the equipment.
In order to explore the planet in more detail, in the 20th century, radio astronomy and radar were added to telescopic methods, and they also began to send spacecraft to travels.
A group of American scientists in 1961 used an optical mirror telescope with two radiometers designed to measure the energy characteristics of the radiation. For several years, the approximate temperature on the surface of the planet was found: 326 ° C at the sunflower point and -123.15 ° C on the unlighted side of the planet. In 1962, Soviet scientists under the leadership of Vladimir Kotelnikov noted the similarity of the reflecting properties of Mercury and the Moon. As it turned out, the planet and the satellite of the Earth are very similar. So much so that for the colonization of Mercury in theory it will be possible to use the same methods as for the colonization of the Moon.
Launching a spacecraft to Mercury is difficult not only because of the distance, but also because of the need to carry additional fuel to enter its orbit. During the flight, the device will literally fall on the Sun - the attraction of Mercury is very weak. In total, only two vehicles flew to Mercury, the first went to the solar orbit, and the second took six maneuvers around the other planets for the flight.
The American automatic interplanetary station Mariner 10 was launched by NASA on November 3, 1973. The purpose of the station was to study Venus and Mercury from the flight path in the near-solar orbit. Until 2008, it was the only device that shot Mercury from close range . During its mission, the Mariner 10 flew past Mercury three times, at a distance of 703, 48 and 327 kilometers. The station helped map up to 45% of the planet’s surface.
“Mariner-10” also found out that the temperature on Mercury at night reaches −183 ° C, and in the afternoon +187 ° C, and that the planet has a strong magnetic field. Today it is known that the temperature on Mercury is from −190 to +500 ° C.
Photomosaic of Mercury from frames made by Mariner-10 station. Clickable
On August 3, 2004, NASA launched the Messenger. Four years later, the device first flew past Mercury. For this, the device passed by the Earth on August 2, 2005, Venus flew by October 24, 2006, Venus flew again on June 5, 2006, and only after that reached Mercury. Moreover, he first flew past him three times, and only on March 18, 2011, he entered orbit. The device approached the planet at a distance of 200 kilometers, photographing the surface.
"Messenger" had to find out whether there is water on the planet, and explain why the core of the planet occupies more than 70% of its volume. The device made more than 277 thousand pictures and gave scientists a huge amount of information for research.
In the process of researching the data obtained by Messenger, scientists have found that the magnetic field of the planet has existed for 3.8 billion years. Once it could be as strong as the field of the Earth.
In addition, the data from the device allow us to talk about the alleged presence of water ice on the planet . He was found in the crater of Prokofiev, as well as in other places. But it is covered with bloom from a material with a large amount of organic matter.
The story of the brave spacecraft ended April 30, 2015, when it fell to the surface of Mercury. During operation, the device traveled 128 billion kilometers, 29 times circled the sun and more than 3,000 times - the orbit of Mercury.
Photo of Mercury, made by "Messenger" from a distance of 27 thousand kilometers. Wikipedia
Mercury is hot. Not everywhere, but on the sunny side. The exceptions are craters, the part directed away from the sun. And at the poles, temperature fluctuations during the change of day and night are not so noticeable due to the small inclination with the planet turning around the axis, therefore these areas can also be suitable for colonization.
With all the shortcomings, Mercury has an important advantage: solar energy will be abundant here, because it is the closest of all the other planets of our system to the Sun. On the heights of the poles there can be peaks of eternal light, which will provide any base with a continuous supply of energy.
In the future, local materials may be used for the needs of the colony and for the construction of bases and space stations.
The similarity of Mercury with the Moon will allow the use of developments made in order to master the natural satellite of the Earth . On Mercury, gravity is twice as high as the moon (0.377 g versus 0.1654 g on the Moon), which makes this planet preferable for colonization due to the effect of gravity on the human body . But the colonists should not have problems with energy and water.
Colonists will have to farm for themselves. Indeed, in the case of Mars, the flight takes 9 months, and in order to reach Mercury, difficult maneuvers will be needed and, possibly, up to four years of flight, as was the case with the Messenger. And for the time being it is unclear how the members of the expedition will cope with space radiation.
Demonstration of the deployment of radiation-resistant Bigelow Aerospace modules on the Moon
Why to colonize Mercury? It is assumed that the planet has a large supply of helium-3. It also has potential deposits of rich, concentrated ore. And in the name of science, of course. There is no more significant reason for living on Mercury. Perhaps that is why scientists do not pay him as much attention as other planets that may become the new home of man.
Mercury is more complicated. It is too close to the Sun, it is very hot on it, and only two vehicles flew to it. But is it necessary to colonize it?
Mercury Research
Mercury belongs to the terrestrial planets on a par with Venus and Mars. By physical characteristics, it is similar to the moon. The atmosphere of Mercury is rarefied, it has no natural satellites. The core of the planet is 83% of its total volume and is in a liquid state.
')
Assyrian astronomers were the first to observe Mercury in the 14th century BC. The planet was associated with various gods, including the god of wisdom and the scribal art of Naboo. And the Romans saw in it the god of commerce Mercury, as the planet quickly moves across the sky.
Galileo Galilei connected a telescope to research at the beginning of the 17th century. The observations of Johannes Kepler, Pierre Gasendi and Giovanni Zupi proved that Mercury orbits the Sun. In the 1880s, Giovanni Schiaparelli suggested that the rotation period is 88 days. And I did not miscalculate: according to modern data, it is 87.969 days.
Mercury is the closest planet to our Sun. This complicates the observation of her. If our beloved Hubble telescope tries to direct the lens toward Mercury, then in the process of photographing it simply burns the equipment.
In order to explore the planet in more detail, in the 20th century, radio astronomy and radar were added to telescopic methods, and they also began to send spacecraft to travels.
A group of American scientists in 1961 used an optical mirror telescope with two radiometers designed to measure the energy characteristics of the radiation. For several years, the approximate temperature on the surface of the planet was found: 326 ° C at the sunflower point and -123.15 ° C on the unlighted side of the planet. In 1962, Soviet scientists under the leadership of Vladimir Kotelnikov noted the similarity of the reflecting properties of Mercury and the Moon. As it turned out, the planet and the satellite of the Earth are very similar. So much so that for the colonization of Mercury in theory it will be possible to use the same methods as for the colonization of the Moon.
Launching a spacecraft to Mercury is difficult not only because of the distance, but also because of the need to carry additional fuel to enter its orbit. During the flight, the device will literally fall on the Sun - the attraction of Mercury is very weak. In total, only two vehicles flew to Mercury, the first went to the solar orbit, and the second took six maneuvers around the other planets for the flight.
The American automatic interplanetary station Mariner 10 was launched by NASA on November 3, 1973. The purpose of the station was to study Venus and Mercury from the flight path in the near-solar orbit. Until 2008, it was the only device that shot Mercury from close range . During its mission, the Mariner 10 flew past Mercury three times, at a distance of 703, 48 and 327 kilometers. The station helped map up to 45% of the planet’s surface.
“Mariner-10” also found out that the temperature on Mercury at night reaches −183 ° C, and in the afternoon +187 ° C, and that the planet has a strong magnetic field. Today it is known that the temperature on Mercury is from −190 to +500 ° C.
Photomosaic of Mercury from frames made by Mariner-10 station. Clickable
On August 3, 2004, NASA launched the Messenger. Four years later, the device first flew past Mercury. For this, the device passed by the Earth on August 2, 2005, Venus flew by October 24, 2006, Venus flew again on June 5, 2006, and only after that reached Mercury. Moreover, he first flew past him three times, and only on March 18, 2011, he entered orbit. The device approached the planet at a distance of 200 kilometers, photographing the surface.
"Messenger" had to find out whether there is water on the planet, and explain why the core of the planet occupies more than 70% of its volume. The device made more than 277 thousand pictures and gave scientists a huge amount of information for research.
In the process of researching the data obtained by Messenger, scientists have found that the magnetic field of the planet has existed for 3.8 billion years. Once it could be as strong as the field of the Earth.
In addition, the data from the device allow us to talk about the alleged presence of water ice on the planet . He was found in the crater of Prokofiev, as well as in other places. But it is covered with bloom from a material with a large amount of organic matter.
The story of the brave spacecraft ended April 30, 2015, when it fell to the surface of Mercury. During operation, the device traveled 128 billion kilometers, 29 times circled the sun and more than 3,000 times - the orbit of Mercury.
Photo of Mercury, made by "Messenger" from a distance of 27 thousand kilometers. Wikipedia
Colonization of Mercury
Mercury is hot. Not everywhere, but on the sunny side. The exceptions are craters, the part directed away from the sun. And at the poles, temperature fluctuations during the change of day and night are not so noticeable due to the small inclination with the planet turning around the axis, therefore these areas can also be suitable for colonization.
With all the shortcomings, Mercury has an important advantage: solar energy will be abundant here, because it is the closest of all the other planets of our system to the Sun. On the heights of the poles there can be peaks of eternal light, which will provide any base with a continuous supply of energy.
In the future, local materials may be used for the needs of the colony and for the construction of bases and space stations.
The similarity of Mercury with the Moon will allow the use of developments made in order to master the natural satellite of the Earth . On Mercury, gravity is twice as high as the moon (0.377 g versus 0.1654 g on the Moon), which makes this planet preferable for colonization due to the effect of gravity on the human body . But the colonists should not have problems with energy and water.
Colonists will have to farm for themselves. Indeed, in the case of Mars, the flight takes 9 months, and in order to reach Mercury, difficult maneuvers will be needed and, possibly, up to four years of flight, as was the case with the Messenger. And for the time being it is unclear how the members of the expedition will cope with space radiation.
Demonstration of the deployment of radiation-resistant Bigelow Aerospace modules on the Moon
Why to colonize Mercury? It is assumed that the planet has a large supply of helium-3. It also has potential deposits of rich, concentrated ore. And in the name of science, of course. There is no more significant reason for living on Mercury. Perhaps that is why scientists do not pay him as much attention as other planets that may become the new home of man.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/399471/
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