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To cut heat flux on Starship’s reentry tiles by 50%, I propose three 90-second aerodynamic braking maneuvers. For power on Mars, I suggest adapting a Virginia-class submarine’s nuclear reactor, which operates for 33 years without refueling. Using pressurized helium for cooling and turbine operation, this reactor could be placed in a crater or low-lying area, leveraging natural topography for radiation shielding to reduce the need for heavy transported materials.

In a cheeky nod to history, I suggested emulating the United Kingdom’s approach to colonizing Australia, which relied on prisoner labor. For Mars, I propose using “disposable” people—death row inmates—for the grueling, labor-intensive tasks. It’s a provocative idea, intended to spark discussion, although I acknowledge the ethical quagmire it raises.

Two major hurdles remain for the journey to Mars:

1. Radiation Shielding: Without protection, passengers won’t survive the six- to nine-month trip due to cosmic and solar radiation. I envision a space-based “filling station” storing hundreds of metric tons of water for fuel and radiation shielding, requiring significant orbital infrastructure.
2. Microgravity Effects: Astronauts on the International Space Station can barely walk after months in microgravity, despite resistance exercises. A six-month trip to Mars (or nine without speculative nuclear propulsion) would leave colonists too weak to work upon arrival.

To deliver supplies, I propose 20 Starship launches within 26 months, spaced closely together during the Mars launch window. These Block 3 Starships could deliver 400 metric tons of cargo, critical for a foothold.

Mars is 46.8% smaller in diameter than Earth, with a volume 15% of Earth’s and a mass 11% due to lower density. Its solidified core provides no magnetic field to shield against solar radiation, forcing habitats underground. Mars’ gravity (38% of Earth’s) will cause significant bone density loss, likely trapping Mars-born inhabitants on the planet, unable to adapt to Earth’s gravity.

Earth’s dynamic core, with inner and outer layers, generates a magnetic field that protects the atmosphere from solar winds. Remarkably, Earth’s core has a greater volume than the entire planet of Mars! This “planet within a planet” design, combined with Earth’s Goldilocks zone position, makes it uniquely suited for life.

 

I’m skeptical of claims about Earth-like exoplanets. Indirect observations, like stellar wobbles, suggest planets in distant systems, but these could have other causes. Light from these stars travels millions or billions of years, making claims speculative. I’m certain of two things:

1. Aliens from other solar systems have never visited Earth.
2. Humanity will never colonize beyond our solar system due to vast interstellar distances. For perspective, a photon traveling at 186,282 miles per second takes eight minutes to reach Earth from the Sun’s surface.