What do people need in order to colonize space or another planet?
If humans are to live in space or on the Moon or Mars, even for brief periods, they are going to need a wide range of support systems. They’ll need a place to work, rest, and live that protects them from the cold and dangerous radiation of the space environment. They will need power, light, air, food, water, and heat. They’ll need robust transportation and equipment able to operate in low temperatures and the hostile environment of space. They will need to be able to communicate with Earth, other colonies, and shuttles. Lunar Base of the Future Image by Pat Rawlings They will also need to deal with health issues. Reduced gravity is a challenge to people living on smaller planets, like Mars with one-third Earth’s gravity, and moons, like our Moon with one-sixth Earth’s gravity. Under reduced gravity conditions, there is less “load” on bones and muscles, so living organisms lose bone mass, muscle tissue, and fluids. Even the heart — a muscle — loses mass because it does not have to work
