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Plausible reason for Earth not be able to get updates about terraforming on Mars?
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I’ve been working on a story where terraforming robots are sent to another world and the colonists come along later. Originally, I had the new world be extrasolar, but for other plot reasons, I’m wanting to move it to Mars. One problem: I want the results of the terraforming to be something of a surprise to the arrivals. That requires that there be something that keeps Earth from getting broadcasts from the Martian robots and prevents Earth from observing Mars through telescopes, but does not prohibit Earth from building and launching colony ships.
I’ve backed myself into this plot corner, and rather than adjust the other elements of the story that are working, I figured I’d ask here to close this gap, if possible. Is there some oddity of solar flares or Earth atmospheric changes or ??? that can save my story?
solar-system isolation telescope
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
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I’ve been working on a story where terraforming robots are sent to another world and the colonists come along later. Originally, I had the new world be extrasolar, but for other plot reasons, I’m wanting to move it to Mars. One problem: I want the results of the terraforming to be something of a surprise to the arrivals. That requires that there be something that keeps Earth from getting broadcasts from the Martian robots and prevents Earth from observing Mars through telescopes, but does not prohibit Earth from building and launching colony ships.
I’ve backed myself into this plot corner, and rather than adjust the other elements of the story that are working, I figured I’d ask here to close this gap, if possible. Is there some oddity of solar flares or Earth atmospheric changes or ??? that can save my story?
solar-system isolation telescope
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
Aside from taking out Earth's means of observing mars (which would require something fairly catastrophic to happen to Earth, almost certainly scrapping the Mars mission, and in any case probably a major problem to add to your existing story) I don't see any plausible way of doing this. Any terraforming that's even partway completed would just change Mar's atmosphere and therefore it's spectral signature too much not to be noticed from Earth.
– Gene
2 hours ago
Keep in mind the flight time: a Mars transfer with modern tech will take at least three months, more likely six. If something unexpected occurs on Mars while the ships are in flight, they probably don't have the capacity to turn back.
– Cadence
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I’ve been working on a story where terraforming robots are sent to another world and the colonists come along later. Originally, I had the new world be extrasolar, but for other plot reasons, I’m wanting to move it to Mars. One problem: I want the results of the terraforming to be something of a surprise to the arrivals. That requires that there be something that keeps Earth from getting broadcasts from the Martian robots and prevents Earth from observing Mars through telescopes, but does not prohibit Earth from building and launching colony ships.
I’ve backed myself into this plot corner, and rather than adjust the other elements of the story that are working, I figured I’d ask here to close this gap, if possible. Is there some oddity of solar flares or Earth atmospheric changes or ??? that can save my story?
solar-system isolation telescope
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
I’ve been working on a story where terraforming robots are sent to another world and the colonists come along later. Originally, I had the new world be extrasolar, but for other plot reasons, I’m wanting to move it to Mars. One problem: I want the results of the terraforming to be something of a surprise to the arrivals. That requires that there be something that keeps Earth from getting broadcasts from the Martian robots and prevents Earth from observing Mars through telescopes, but does not prohibit Earth from building and launching colony ships.
I’ve backed myself into this plot corner, and rather than adjust the other elements of the story that are working, I figured I’d ask here to close this gap, if possible. Is there some oddity of solar flares or Earth atmospheric changes or ??? that can save my story?
solar-system isolation telescope
solar-system isolation telescope
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
asked 2 hours ago
SRM
13.9k32572
13.9k32572
Aside from taking out Earth's means of observing mars (which would require something fairly catastrophic to happen to Earth, almost certainly scrapping the Mars mission, and in any case probably a major problem to add to your existing story) I don't see any plausible way of doing this. Any terraforming that's even partway completed would just change Mar's atmosphere and therefore it's spectral signature too much not to be noticed from Earth.
– Gene
2 hours ago
Keep in mind the flight time: a Mars transfer with modern tech will take at least three months, more likely six. If something unexpected occurs on Mars while the ships are in flight, they probably don't have the capacity to turn back.
– Cadence
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
Aside from taking out Earth's means of observing mars (which would require something fairly catastrophic to happen to Earth, almost certainly scrapping the Mars mission, and in any case probably a major problem to add to your existing story) I don't see any plausible way of doing this. Any terraforming that's even partway completed would just change Mar's atmosphere and therefore it's spectral signature too much not to be noticed from Earth.
– Gene
2 hours ago
Keep in mind the flight time: a Mars transfer with modern tech will take at least three months, more likely six. If something unexpected occurs on Mars while the ships are in flight, they probably don't have the capacity to turn back.
– Cadence
1 hour ago
Aside from taking out Earth's means of observing mars (which would require something fairly catastrophic to happen to Earth, almost certainly scrapping the Mars mission, and in any case probably a major problem to add to your existing story) I don't see any plausible way of doing this. Any terraforming that's even partway completed would just change Mar's atmosphere and therefore it's spectral signature too much not to be noticed from Earth.
– Gene
2 hours ago
Aside from taking out Earth's means of observing mars (which would require something fairly catastrophic to happen to Earth, almost certainly scrapping the Mars mission, and in any case probably a major problem to add to your existing story) I don't see any plausible way of doing this. Any terraforming that's even partway completed would just change Mar's atmosphere and therefore it's spectral signature too much not to be noticed from Earth.
– Gene
2 hours ago
Keep in mind the flight time: a Mars transfer with modern tech will take at least three months, more likely six. If something unexpected occurs on Mars while the ships are in flight, they probably don't have the capacity to turn back.
– Cadence
1 hour ago
Keep in mind the flight time: a Mars transfer with modern tech will take at least three months, more likely six. If something unexpected occurs on Mars while the ships are in flight, they probably don't have the capacity to turn back.
– Cadence
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
Your robots could use some kind of terraforming process with a long and insconspicuous buildup phase and then a sudden release which alters the Martian atmosphere over the course of just a few months - less time than it takes to fly from Earth to Mars.
What kind of process could that be? Well, many of the minerals which make up the Martian soil do contain Oxygen. If those molecules were split, then the oxygen would get released into the atmosphere. How could you split them? Now this part is quite speculative, but it might involve nanobots. This nanobot project would work in 4 phases.
- Spread a few self-replicating nanobots over the Martian surface
- Have them self-replicate until they cover the whole planet
- Start the oxygenation process
- Have the nanobots self-destruct
Phase 2 would take as long as the plot requires. And you have no idea how well phase 3 will work until phase 2 is finished.
In order to prevent the colonists from learning about the progress of the nanobots in-flight, you could make it a sleeper ship. Right after launch, the colonists are put into an artificial coma and they don't wake up before they enter Mars orbit. This would save a lot of resources and spare them the boredom of being trapped in a metal can for months with nothing useful to do.
Now you just have to explain why they did have to start now and couldn't wait until the next launch window to not launch into the unknown. The answer to this could be political: Every space program around the world wanted to be the first to land on Mars, and at least one decided to take the risk.
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Switch planets.
Venus has a permanent, thick, global layer of clouds that covers it. We cannot observe its surface from the Earth. Even satellites can only peek at its surface through radar. The only times we got a glimpse from her surface were when the russians sent some probes there, but no probe survived for more than a couple hours if my memory serves me right.
As a plus, venusian gravity is practically the same as Earth's as opposed to Mars annoyingly low gravity - too little to allow for proper movement, yet too high to allow us to use heavy suits such as the ones from the Apollo Mission.
Also: Venus may just be habitable as is right now, if you use a breather, avoid direct sunlight and stay on a floating base just above the clouds. Mars... Not so much.
Last but not least: you can get more solar energy on Venus, and the Δv to get there from Earth is nearly the same as to Mars.
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Not sure on the plausibility of this but here is an idea, the terraforming raises a large amount of dust that covers the majority of the planet. As a result, communications are blocked and telescope observations don't work because the dust is covering everything.
Earth still sends the colony ships because the dust storm is still persisting meaning that the robots are still working and terraforming (and they can see an occasional robot wandering out of the dust storm, and then heading back into it), they just add some extra supplies to account for some extra delays due to the dust blocking some (not all) of the solar power and hence reducing the operating speed of the robots.
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The Martians do not want to be observed. They are jamming communications between Earth and Mars. I am not sure how you would obstruct the light between Earth and Mars. Perhaps vast clouds of space dust orbiting Mars. The Martians also could have developed some future-tech that obscures light beams. From the point of view of Earth, Mars is obscured in haze. Any Earth vessel that tries to come close to observe conditions on Mars is shot down or captured.
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
Your robots could use some kind of terraforming process with a long and insconspicuous buildup phase and then a sudden release which alters the Martian atmosphere over the course of just a few months - less time than it takes to fly from Earth to Mars.
What kind of process could that be? Well, many of the minerals which make up the Martian soil do contain Oxygen. If those molecules were split, then the oxygen would get released into the atmosphere. How could you split them? Now this part is quite speculative, but it might involve nanobots. This nanobot project would work in 4 phases.
- Spread a few self-replicating nanobots over the Martian surface
- Have them self-replicate until they cover the whole planet
- Start the oxygenation process
- Have the nanobots self-destruct
Phase 2 would take as long as the plot requires. And you have no idea how well phase 3 will work until phase 2 is finished.
In order to prevent the colonists from learning about the progress of the nanobots in-flight, you could make it a sleeper ship. Right after launch, the colonists are put into an artificial coma and they don't wake up before they enter Mars orbit. This would save a lot of resources and spare them the boredom of being trapped in a metal can for months with nothing useful to do.
Now you just have to explain why they did have to start now and couldn't wait until the next launch window to not launch into the unknown. The answer to this could be political: Every space program around the world wanted to be the first to land on Mars, and at least one decided to take the risk.
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Your robots could use some kind of terraforming process with a long and insconspicuous buildup phase and then a sudden release which alters the Martian atmosphere over the course of just a few months - less time than it takes to fly from Earth to Mars.
What kind of process could that be? Well, many of the minerals which make up the Martian soil do contain Oxygen. If those molecules were split, then the oxygen would get released into the atmosphere. How could you split them? Now this part is quite speculative, but it might involve nanobots. This nanobot project would work in 4 phases.
- Spread a few self-replicating nanobots over the Martian surface
- Have them self-replicate until they cover the whole planet
- Start the oxygenation process
- Have the nanobots self-destruct
Phase 2 would take as long as the plot requires. And you have no idea how well phase 3 will work until phase 2 is finished.
In order to prevent the colonists from learning about the progress of the nanobots in-flight, you could make it a sleeper ship. Right after launch, the colonists are put into an artificial coma and they don't wake up before they enter Mars orbit. This would save a lot of resources and spare them the boredom of being trapped in a metal can for months with nothing useful to do.
Now you just have to explain why they did have to start now and couldn't wait until the next launch window to not launch into the unknown. The answer to this could be political: Every space program around the world wanted to be the first to land on Mars, and at least one decided to take the risk.
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
Your robots could use some kind of terraforming process with a long and insconspicuous buildup phase and then a sudden release which alters the Martian atmosphere over the course of just a few months - less time than it takes to fly from Earth to Mars.
What kind of process could that be? Well, many of the minerals which make up the Martian soil do contain Oxygen. If those molecules were split, then the oxygen would get released into the atmosphere. How could you split them? Now this part is quite speculative, but it might involve nanobots. This nanobot project would work in 4 phases.
- Spread a few self-replicating nanobots over the Martian surface
- Have them self-replicate until they cover the whole planet
- Start the oxygenation process
- Have the nanobots self-destruct
Phase 2 would take as long as the plot requires. And you have no idea how well phase 3 will work until phase 2 is finished.
In order to prevent the colonists from learning about the progress of the nanobots in-flight, you could make it a sleeper ship. Right after launch, the colonists are put into an artificial coma and they don't wake up before they enter Mars orbit. This would save a lot of resources and spare them the boredom of being trapped in a metal can for months with nothing useful to do.
Now you just have to explain why they did have to start now and couldn't wait until the next launch window to not launch into the unknown. The answer to this could be political: Every space program around the world wanted to be the first to land on Mars, and at least one decided to take the risk.
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
Your robots could use some kind of terraforming process with a long and insconspicuous buildup phase and then a sudden release which alters the Martian atmosphere over the course of just a few months - less time than it takes to fly from Earth to Mars.
What kind of process could that be? Well, many of the minerals which make up the Martian soil do contain Oxygen. If those molecules were split, then the oxygen would get released into the atmosphere. How could you split them? Now this part is quite speculative, but it might involve nanobots. This nanobot project would work in 4 phases.
- Spread a few self-replicating nanobots over the Martian surface
- Have them self-replicate until they cover the whole planet
- Start the oxygenation process
- Have the nanobots self-destruct
Phase 2 would take as long as the plot requires. And you have no idea how well phase 3 will work until phase 2 is finished.
In order to prevent the colonists from learning about the progress of the nanobots in-flight, you could make it a sleeper ship. Right after launch, the colonists are put into an artificial coma and they don't wake up before they enter Mars orbit. This would save a lot of resources and spare them the boredom of being trapped in a metal can for months with nothing useful to do.
Now you just have to explain why they did have to start now and couldn't wait until the next launch window to not launch into the unknown. The answer to this could be political: Every space program around the world wanted to be the first to land on Mars, and at least one decided to take the risk.
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
edited 1 hour ago
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
answered 1 hour ago
Philipp
29.1k1159110
29.1k1159110
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Switch planets.
Venus has a permanent, thick, global layer of clouds that covers it. We cannot observe its surface from the Earth. Even satellites can only peek at its surface through radar. The only times we got a glimpse from her surface were when the russians sent some probes there, but no probe survived for more than a couple hours if my memory serves me right.
As a plus, venusian gravity is practically the same as Earth's as opposed to Mars annoyingly low gravity - too little to allow for proper movement, yet too high to allow us to use heavy suits such as the ones from the Apollo Mission.
Also: Venus may just be habitable as is right now, if you use a breather, avoid direct sunlight and stay on a floating base just above the clouds. Mars... Not so much.
Last but not least: you can get more solar energy on Venus, and the Δv to get there from Earth is nearly the same as to Mars.
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Switch planets.
Venus has a permanent, thick, global layer of clouds that covers it. We cannot observe its surface from the Earth. Even satellites can only peek at its surface through radar. The only times we got a glimpse from her surface were when the russians sent some probes there, but no probe survived for more than a couple hours if my memory serves me right.
As a plus, venusian gravity is practically the same as Earth's as opposed to Mars annoyingly low gravity - too little to allow for proper movement, yet too high to allow us to use heavy suits such as the ones from the Apollo Mission.
Also: Venus may just be habitable as is right now, if you use a breather, avoid direct sunlight and stay on a floating base just above the clouds. Mars... Not so much.
Last but not least: you can get more solar energy on Venus, and the Δv to get there from Earth is nearly the same as to Mars.
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Switch planets.
Venus has a permanent, thick, global layer of clouds that covers it. We cannot observe its surface from the Earth. Even satellites can only peek at its surface through radar. The only times we got a glimpse from her surface were when the russians sent some probes there, but no probe survived for more than a couple hours if my memory serves me right.
As a plus, venusian gravity is practically the same as Earth's as opposed to Mars annoyingly low gravity - too little to allow for proper movement, yet too high to allow us to use heavy suits such as the ones from the Apollo Mission.
Also: Venus may just be habitable as is right now, if you use a breather, avoid direct sunlight and stay on a floating base just above the clouds. Mars... Not so much.
Last but not least: you can get more solar energy on Venus, and the Δv to get there from Earth is nearly the same as to Mars.
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
Switch planets.
Venus has a permanent, thick, global layer of clouds that covers it. We cannot observe its surface from the Earth. Even satellites can only peek at its surface through radar. The only times we got a glimpse from her surface were when the russians sent some probes there, but no probe survived for more than a couple hours if my memory serves me right.
As a plus, venusian gravity is practically the same as Earth's as opposed to Mars annoyingly low gravity - too little to allow for proper movement, yet too high to allow us to use heavy suits such as the ones from the Apollo Mission.
Also: Venus may just be habitable as is right now, if you use a breather, avoid direct sunlight and stay on a floating base just above the clouds. Mars... Not so much.
Last but not least: you can get more solar energy on Venus, and the Δv to get there from Earth is nearly the same as to Mars.
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
answered 1 hour ago
Renan
35.1k1083181
35.1k1083181
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Not sure on the plausibility of this but here is an idea, the terraforming raises a large amount of dust that covers the majority of the planet. As a result, communications are blocked and telescope observations don't work because the dust is covering everything.
Earth still sends the colony ships because the dust storm is still persisting meaning that the robots are still working and terraforming (and they can see an occasional robot wandering out of the dust storm, and then heading back into it), they just add some extra supplies to account for some extra delays due to the dust blocking some (not all) of the solar power and hence reducing the operating speed of the robots.
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Not sure on the plausibility of this but here is an idea, the terraforming raises a large amount of dust that covers the majority of the planet. As a result, communications are blocked and telescope observations don't work because the dust is covering everything.
Earth still sends the colony ships because the dust storm is still persisting meaning that the robots are still working and terraforming (and they can see an occasional robot wandering out of the dust storm, and then heading back into it), they just add some extra supplies to account for some extra delays due to the dust blocking some (not all) of the solar power and hence reducing the operating speed of the robots.
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Not sure on the plausibility of this but here is an idea, the terraforming raises a large amount of dust that covers the majority of the planet. As a result, communications are blocked and telescope observations don't work because the dust is covering everything.
Earth still sends the colony ships because the dust storm is still persisting meaning that the robots are still working and terraforming (and they can see an occasional robot wandering out of the dust storm, and then heading back into it), they just add some extra supplies to account for some extra delays due to the dust blocking some (not all) of the solar power and hence reducing the operating speed of the robots.
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
Not sure on the plausibility of this but here is an idea, the terraforming raises a large amount of dust that covers the majority of the planet. As a result, communications are blocked and telescope observations don't work because the dust is covering everything.
Earth still sends the colony ships because the dust storm is still persisting meaning that the robots are still working and terraforming (and they can see an occasional robot wandering out of the dust storm, and then heading back into it), they just add some extra supplies to account for some extra delays due to the dust blocking some (not all) of the solar power and hence reducing the operating speed of the robots.
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
answered 1 hour ago
Shadowzee
4,913821
4,913821
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The Martians do not want to be observed. They are jamming communications between Earth and Mars. I am not sure how you would obstruct the light between Earth and Mars. Perhaps vast clouds of space dust orbiting Mars. The Martians also could have developed some future-tech that obscures light beams. From the point of view of Earth, Mars is obscured in haze. Any Earth vessel that tries to come close to observe conditions on Mars is shot down or captured.
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The Martians do not want to be observed. They are jamming communications between Earth and Mars. I am not sure how you would obstruct the light between Earth and Mars. Perhaps vast clouds of space dust orbiting Mars. The Martians also could have developed some future-tech that obscures light beams. From the point of view of Earth, Mars is obscured in haze. Any Earth vessel that tries to come close to observe conditions on Mars is shot down or captured.
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
The Martians do not want to be observed. They are jamming communications between Earth and Mars. I am not sure how you would obstruct the light between Earth and Mars. Perhaps vast clouds of space dust orbiting Mars. The Martians also could have developed some future-tech that obscures light beams. From the point of view of Earth, Mars is obscured in haze. Any Earth vessel that tries to come close to observe conditions on Mars is shot down or captured.
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
The Martians do not want to be observed. They are jamming communications between Earth and Mars. I am not sure how you would obstruct the light between Earth and Mars. Perhaps vast clouds of space dust orbiting Mars. The Martians also could have developed some future-tech that obscures light beams. From the point of view of Earth, Mars is obscured in haze. Any Earth vessel that tries to come close to observe conditions on Mars is shot down or captured.
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
answered 1 hour ago
Vincent
958413
958413
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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Aside from taking out Earth's means of observing mars (which would require something fairly catastrophic to happen to Earth, almost certainly scrapping the Mars mission, and in any case probably a major problem to add to your existing story) I don't see any plausible way of doing this. Any terraforming that's even partway completed would just change Mar's atmosphere and therefore it's spectral signature too much not to be noticed from Earth.
– Gene
2 hours ago
Keep in mind the flight time: a Mars transfer with modern tech will take at least three months, more likely six. If something unexpected occurs on Mars while the ships are in flight, they probably don't have the capacity to turn back.
– Cadence
1 hour ago