Mars Astrobiology: Recent Status and Progress - Planetary Exploration and Science: Recent Results and Advances - page 235

almost unknown past Mars, then, in terms of planetary protection (Rummel 2001 ),
due to a hypothetical own Martian bio-protection for its preservation, this second
proposal can be necessary for Mars exploration (de Morais 2004 ).
In order to protect places with possible biosignatures (microfossils and hypothet-
ical extant microbes), the best place for putting this initial greenhouse for Martian
terraforming must be far (several kilometers) from those places, at the equator -
for the same best IR, luminosity, and UV from the Sun, on a flat soil with a
surface permafrost for easier obtaining of liquid water for the culture of the bio-
oxygen generators (cyanobacteria, the mentioned above algae, lichen, cacti) and of
methanogens (de Morais 2004 ).
Two observations: (1) methanogens Archaean are not photosynthetic organisms;
they derive their energy from CO 2 , carbon monoxide, or hydrogen. Some hydrogen-
consuming methanogens grow deep inside Earth's subsurface (Chapelle et al. 2002 )
and could survive the harsh conditions found on Mars, to liberate methane (a
greenhouse gas) inside a secure and scientifically controlled greenhouse, warming
it up, and interacting with the other cultivated organisms, for in situ studies of the
evolution of a Martian terraforming; (2) cacti are necessary for increasing the auto-
sustainability of such bio-system. Simple modified techniques and tools can be used
by astronauts to perform the work (de Morais 2004 ).
The astronauts working on Mars will need to do three main things: to search for
possible microfossils record (and hypothetical extant microbial life), to fix chambers
for growing resistant vegetables and microbes for food and oxygen consumption,
and (the second proposal in this chapter) to fix a simple 10-m-radius greenhouse
facility with simple chambers to do a controlled study for Mars terraforming. To
accomplish all these, it is strongly necessary (the first proposal in this chapter) for
astronauts to perform controlled studies in simulated Martian 0.38 g gravity inside
centrifuges built in ESA hardware, or in any other similar hardware, on board the
ISS (de Morais 2004 ). These proposals, within an international cooperation, are
possible and viable (de Morais 2004 ).
In conclusion, in my two proposals for the future Mars terraforming, we will
need to:

￿ Obtain data and analyze results from the experiments I proposed in this chapter,

to simulate Mars' 0.38 gravity, using the centrifuges of built biological facilities
already on board the ISS (and future ones too), to obtain scientific information
on which species of microbes and plants are best for growing on Mars and to get
technical and operational data on how to future satisfactorily grow and develop
them on its surface (de Morais 2004 );

￿ Design, construct, and test on Earth a simple 10-m-radius greenhouse, to gather

technical and operational data on how to fix it on the Martian ground, and to
construct it on Mars' surface to begin a secure and scientifically controlled future
Mars terraforming (de Morais 2004 ).

Mars is the known planet most similar to the Earth, it is not far, so an international
manned trip to that planet is viable and necessary, and the ISS, with those future
centrifuges aboard, can be of much valuable use for a solid planning for this trip