Space mirrors could create Earth-like haven on Mars

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Space mirror.Scientists are studying the feasibility of making use of mirrors in orbit around Mars to create a habitable condition on a small patch of the planet’s surface. This will provide extra warmth for the human explorers as well as boosting the power of solar cells. A snippet from New Scientist is as follows.

Scientists and science-fiction authors have long dreamed of turning Mars into a more Earth-like planet for future human colonists. The process, called terraforming, involves thickening Mars's atmosphere and increasing its temperature. But schemes to transform the entire planet would take centuries and would require enormous resources.

Now, Rigel Woida, an engineering student at Arizona State University in Tucson, US, is investigating the possibility of "terraforming" just a small patch of the planet's surface by focusing sunlight on it from orbiting mirrors.

The concept calls for 300 reflective balloons, each 150 metres across, arranged side-by-side to create a 1.5-kilometre-wide mirror in orbit around Mars.

Link & Image: New Scientist
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