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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781490794464 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Trafford Publishing |
| Publication date: | 03/27/2019 |
| Pages: | 110 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.26(d) |
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CHAPTER 1
THE ORBITING CITY
Mars Endeavour had been under construction for ten years. It was a "city" one mile in diameter and one hundred Mars feet in height. The most interesting thing about Endeavour was that it was built in a one-thousand-mile orbit above the Earth. Its mission was to fly to Mars as part of a major project that NASA had been engaged in for twenty years — to colonize the Red Planet. From 2034 to 2054, NASA had been sending spacecraft to Mars with materials and supplies necessary for human beings to live there.
It all turned out to be an amazing feat of technology. Along with the supplies, armies of robots were released onto the surface of the Red Planet. They had been preprogrammed to assemble the materials into one huge city. Their actions were controlled by NASA scientists and computers on Earth. The site chosen was close to the Vallis Marineris, a huge Grand Canyon-type structure running for 2,485 miles along the Martian equator. Vast deposits of underground water had been discovered in the Vallis Marineris, so this essential resource would be a major boost for future colonists of Mars.
The robots had laid the basis of the model city upon which all future Martian cities would be constructed. The city measured three miles by three miles. Outside of it was a huge nuclear generator for the supply of energy to the city, namely light and heat. It was planned that the city would be home to eventually one thousand people; mainly scientists looking for a bit of adventure, young people willing to "tough it out" on the Red Planet for at least a couple of decades of their lives, and some might even want to make Mars their permanent home. The city consisted of houses and streets, parks and play areas, gymnasia, cinemas, theaters — well, almost anything you would find in a terrestrial city. But it was all under a dome, a massive dome to protect its inhabitants from the severe cold of Mars, dangerous radiation (Mars has no magnetic field and only a thin atmosphere) from outer space, and possible meteor strikes. The model Martian city, considering the massive dome covering it, was aptly named Dome City.
One of the major problems for the Mars city planners had been from where to obtain the cities' oxygen supplies. However, during a school trip to NASA, one smart girl mentioned a book she had read concerning that. The book was titled Peril on Mars. It had been written as far back as 1958 by Sir Patrick Moore. Moore had envisioned growing on Mars forests of oxygen- yielding plants. These plants, when plucked, would be taken inside a dome-type structure where their oxygen would be released.
Although the girl's suggestion was initially dismissed by scientists, one bio-engineer, Dr. Jeremy Flockston, who had just finished his doctoral studies, was stimulated by what he had heard from the young girl. He got hold of Moore's Peril on Mars and, after reading it, was further motivated into using Sir Patrick Moore's basic idea and painstakingly got down to work on genetically modifying plants that could perform the function of giving off copious amounts of oxygen. In cooperation with NASA's planetary engineers, Flockston designed an industrial process to channel the oxygen from a power-producing factory to the city. "Moore's Plants," as they eventually came to be known, when fully grown, were to be plucked and taken from the forests to the factory where, when undergoing a crushing process, would release their stores of oxygen. This oxygen would then be released through a series of funnels to the city. A full-scale model of this industrial process had shown its complete workability. Further research and development carried out by Dr. Flockston and his team had created an improved sub-species of the plant which enabled it to reproduce and grow rapidly, such rapid reproduction and growth being essential to meet the oxygen demands of an expanding Martian population.
Near the Vallis Marineris, the robots had constructed machinery to drill down to the water deposits. Massive pumps would be used to bring the water to the surface and store it in large water tanks from where it would be distributed to the Martians living in Dome City.
The purpose of Mars Endeavour in all this was to fly to Mars with six crew members who were to activate the life-support systems of Dome City. They were to implement the finishing touches to the nuclear generator, the plant-crushing equipment, and the water-pumping machinery. It would take about a year to have all the machinery in motion and, thus, Dome City to be fully habitable. During this time, Mars Endeavour would be home to the six crew members. Once Dome City was fully functional, Mars Endeavour would be incorporated into it as a "suburb."
Maurice Cuthbertson, the NASA administrator, was giving a final briefing to the crew prior to their departure.
"Well," said Cuthbertson, "everything seems to be just tickety boo. We've checked the robots, and they are all in good working order. According to the system we have set up, they will be controlled by you guys but with backup from Mission Control here at NASA if required. Tomorrow morning, the shuttle will take you to Mars Endeavour, and three hours later, you will activate all systems and be on your way to Mars. Anyway, the press are here. Let's all go out to the press briefing hall and answer some of their questions."
Cuthbertson and the six crew members made their way from the administrator's plush office to the press briefing hall, which was all abuzz with reporters eager for information about the grand finale to this amazing Mars project.
"Hi! I'm Stan Brookson from the New York Times. I'd like to ask the captain of Mars Endeavour how long he and his crew will be away from Earth for."
"Well, Mr. Brookson," said Capt. Joseph Blackwood, "first of all, thank you for your question. It will take us only six months to get to Mars using the nuclear-powered engines of Mars Endeavour. We shall then spend two years on Mars. The first year will be spent getting all the life-support systems functioning, and the second year will be spent conducting experiments and carrying out explorations of the surrounding area."
"Sheila Witherton from the Washington Post — are you confident your oxygen supplies will be sufficient for that period of time?"
"We have supplies on Mars Endeavour for three years. That covers the six-month flight to the planet and the two years we'll be there plus six months extra for good measure. However, once the machinery for obtaining oxygen from the plants is fully operational, we'll be self-sufficient in oxygen."
"What about food supplies?" asked a Time reporter.
"I think my colleague, Dr. Jeremy Flockston, who is a bioengineer, can best answer that question."
"Thank you, Joseph," said Jeremy. "We have sufficient food for three years on Mars Endeavour. For future supplies, the robots have constructed a farming facility under a dome two miles in diameter. The mission which will follow us in two years will bring cows, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry, and fish and a great variety of vegetable seeds. We reckon that within five years from then, the Martian colonies will be self-sufficient in food."
"Chris Walters from the Chicago Daily — how do you plan to return to Earth?"
"Rodney! Could you take this one?" said Joseph.
Rodney Roberts, a rocket engineer, explained how this would be done. "The assemblages for a return craft are already on Mars. My job will be, along with the robots, to assemble these pieces into a fully-functioning craft to take my colleagues and I safely back to Earth."
"Marie Matthews from the Boston Globe — will you be conducting any science experiments that benefit humanity?"
"Georgina Trombers is an astronomer," replied Joseph. "She will tell you about her role in the Mars mission."
"Some of the assemblage parts already transported to Mars," began Georgina, "will be constructed into a three-hundred-inch reflecting telescope. The thin atmosphere on Mars will give astronomers a much clearer picture of the universe."
"Heather Wilber is a physicist," said Joseph. "She will now explain what she will be doing on Mars."
"Initially, we will construct a kind of mini version of the Large Hadron Collider to study fundamental particles of matter in a low-gravity environment," said Heather. "However, we have an ambitious program, which is to transport enough parts to assemble a construction twice as large as the LHC. We are certain to discover many more fundamental particles of matter and transform physics as we currently know it."
After some more questions, Maurice Cuthbertson ended the press conference and the crew members went out of the hall.
CHAPTER 2FARE THEE WELL, EARTH
The six crew members entered the shuttle that would ferry them to Mars Endeavour, the floating city that would be their home for the next three years. They had mixed feelings about their trip. Their thoughts flitted between wondering what it would be like to be 140 million miles away from the Earth for three years and the excitement of the great adventure which lay before them. Though they were being jostled by a plethora of mental images rushing in and out of their heads, their rigorous training had ensured that their faces were emotionless as they strapped themselves into their seats in the shuttle, readying themselves for takeoff.
At last, the engines of the shuttle were activated, and the crew felt the craft lifting off from the Earth. Up, up, and up they went. Soon they were feeling the intense pressure on their bodies as the craft fought against the Earth's gravitational pull, whose escape velocity is eight miles per second. When they were free of Earth's gravity, the worst was over, and they could relax. They looked out of the craft's porthole-type windows and saw the massive orbiting city shimmering in the sunlight against the blackness of space. The closer they approached, the bigger it appeared. And the bigger it appeared, the less apprehensive they were about this being their home for almost three years. Yet they still had reservations about living in this vast metal contraption.
"I find it hard to imagine that that metal monster resembles an average-sized terrestrial town with all the facilities and amenities that such a town would normally have," commented Heather.
"Don't judge a book by its cover," replied Joseph in mildly scolding tones.
"Once we're inside," said Jeremy, "it will look quite different."
"We'll probably even forget we've left the Earth," said Georgina with a chuckle.
"Just ... let's all make the best of it," said Rodney somewhat dryly.
"Just think of it," said James, "we have a city all to ourselves. The fact that there are only six of us in this one-mile-square city will make it seem even bigger than it already is. Think of it — no crowds, no pollution from fossil-fuel-burning vehicles, no factories belching out smoke and fumes, no traffic jams on the roads, no criminals waiting to rob you or mug you at the next street corner, no waiting in queues ... oh, and so much more!"
When they reached the gigantic structure which would be their home for the next three years, the shuttle started slowing as it approached the docking area. The amazing thing about the shuttle was that it was pilotless; it was guided by Mission Control at Houston back on Earth. After waiting a few minutes, the massive door of Mars Endeavour's docking area started moving upward. Guided by Mission Control and its computer programming system, the shuttle slowly moved into Mars Endeavour. After the docking area was pressurized, the shuttle door opened, and the crew disembarked. When they left the docking area, the shuttle returned to Earth.
"Blackwood to Mission Control," said Joseph as he radioed back to NASA, "we have successfully embarked and are now on the control deck."
"Roger," came a voice. "Activate forward movement." Joseph, like Rodney, was a rocket scientist. They both put Mars Endeavour into operating mode and waited for the onboard computer system to start up the nuclear-powered engines on the massive craft. Twenty five of these engines were placed around the exterior of the craft.
The gigantic structure, at first, moved at a slow-ish speed, one that would get them past the moon in about thirty-six hours. Once past the moon, Mars Endeavour would go at full speed toward the Red Planet.
Joseph and his team then spent hours walking around the massive city. They strolled through its parks and gardens and had their meal in one of the plush restaurants. Everything was automatic. An electronic menu was presented by a robot. Each crew member indicated his/her preference by touchscreen. Twenty or so minutes later, the robots returned with the dishes cooked and prepared by robotic chefs in a fully-automated kitchen.
When dinner was over, the waiter robots cleared away the dishes and took them back to the kitchen, where dishwashing robots cleaned the plates, bowls, and cups and efficiently stacked them away. All the robots then went into sleeping mode.
Each crew member was allotted a detached villa-type residence. These also had their robots: robots to cook and clean, robots to attend to the garden, robots to put out and recycle the trash, even robots to play board games with.
At the gym, there were robot trainers. In the parks, there were robot ice cream vendors. In the cinemas, robot ushers were there to show members of the audience to their seats. Almost every film that had ever been made was available through the compressed digitized forms on which they were stored. Robotized taxis were available everywhere to drive the crew members to different parts of the city.
The museums and art galleries were digitally connected to those on Earth. By selecting one, a virtual world opened up, whereby the "visitor" could "walk" around, say, the Louvre, the Smithsonian, or London's Natural History Museum and be given an explanation of the artifacts by a virtual guide.
"This is what the Garden of Eden must have looked like," said Jeremy. "As a biological engineer, I would love to examine the flora and fauna of that original paradise."
"It's just a myth," commented Rodney in his usual dull matter-of-fact tones.
"That's what I thought until I saw this," said Heather.
"As you all know," said Joseph, "we all have work to do. So it won't be all gadding about in a paradise of pleasure."
The main job of the crew members for the next six months would be to ensure that their equipment was ready for assemblage on Mars: James' mining gear, Jeremy's seedlings and embryos in suspended animation, Rodney's rocket templates and rocket- making programming for the robots, Georgina's astronomical equipment, and Heather's mini LHC.
CHAPTER 3"HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM."
Although Georgina Trombers was an astronomer, her interests extended into other areas of science. Her main task on Mars was to set up optical, radio, and spectroscopic equipment to study the universe in low gravitational and thin atmospheric conditions. One thing that greatly fascinated her was the field of astrobiology. After reading Diseases from Space (Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, 1979), Georgina studied astrobiology in her free time and read as much literature as she could get hold of on it.
"One of the questions I'm often asked when discussing the issue of bacteria and viruses originating from space and their being the building blocks of evolution on planets is as to how these pathogens actually form," said Georgina to Heather Wilber and Jeremy Flockston when they were sitting in a cafeteria one "day" sipping on cappuccinos. Joseph had insisted that he and his fellow crew members stick to a terrestrial twenty-four-hour day so as to ensure that their bodies did not get out of kilter with their biological rhythms.
"It seems that after so much spectroscopic work on interstellar gas clouds, it is quite clear that bacteria and viruses are space incident," replied Jeremy.
"I am sure that bacterial spores are formed during supernova explosions," said Georgina thoughtfully.
"But the principle laid down by Louis Pasteur in the nineteenth century and accepted to this day is that life can only come from life."
"Yes," replied Georgina, "and that is true regarding the replication of life under tranquil conditions and once it has developed from its base beginnings. But what are those base beginnings? Such has never been observed under normal and tranquil conditions."
"So you are suggesting that life's origins are to be found under — eh, let us say 'abnormal conditions.'" "Indeed. It is also important to note that the Pasteurian principle is concerned with the replication of life and not with the origin of life — a distinction that should be well understood."
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "A Trip to Mars"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Francis A. Andrew.
Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Foreword, ix,
Chapter I The Orbiting City, 1,
Chapter II Fare Thee Well, Earth, 7,
Chapter III "Houston, We Have a Problem.", 13,
Chapter IV Lunar Landing, 19,
Chapter V Archaeoastronautics on the Moon, 23,
Chapter VI Over the Sea to Eagle, 33,
Chapter VII Damned Politics and Politicians, 45,
Chapter VIII Politics and Space, 57,
Chapter IX Mining on the Moon, 67,
Chapter X A Race against the Clock, 75,
Chapter XI Picking Up the Pieces, 91,
Afterword, 97,