Instant Genius How humans may soon become an interplanetary species
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May 25, 2025 
Adriana Marais, a physicist and director of the Foundation for Space Development Africa, shares her expertise on humanity's journey to become an interplanetary species. She discusses the ambitious plans for Moon bases and their lessons for Mars colonization. Adriana highlights the importance of technology in making life on Earth more sustainable and the innovative solutions for habitats in extreme environments. She also touches on the challenges of crew selection and the ethical considerations of space exploration, painting an exciting picture of our cosmic future.
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Space Propulsion Tech Basics
- Propulsion technology for space travel has remained mostly unchanged since the early 1900s.
- Existing liquid hydrogen and oxygen rocket systems are sufficient but costly and limited by payload mass.
Mars Trip Duration Insights
- Trips to Mars currently take about seven months with existing rover missions serving as estimates.
- Theoretical propulsion could cut the time to just over a month by maintaining Earth gravity during travel.
Key Life Support Systems
- Essential life support for space includes power, water, food, and communication systems.
- Use tried and tested technologies like solar power, water filtration, LEDs for indoor food growth, and robust communication infrastructure.
