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Scatter Tube

A large tube launched at Mars carrying heated cases of grass
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The problem with Mars colonies is the thin atmosphere. You cant just place plants, they'll freeze. I suggest a large canister with many, many, many containers of the aforementioned boxs, this would be called the Scatter Tube. and would have 150-200 cases filled with racks of grass. The heat would be from butane heaters, with just enough to keep th grass alive to convert some carbon dioxide.

The tube would also be carrying high pressure carbon dioxide. This would thicken Mars' atmosphere allowing it to contain heat from the sun.

Squirrally, Jan 12 2009

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       Establish an atmosphere first, then introduce the plants.
Texticle, Jan 12 2009
  

       This terra forming would also make human travel to Mars attract a nice diverse crowd of adventurers. A planet where the grass is free. I can imagine the shape a herd of stoners' space ship to the promised land might be! That kinda grass right? Hemp has many handy attributes!
Sir_Misspeller, Jan 12 2009
  

       That's right, [Texticle]; the egg first, then the ch... Oh, bugger.   

       [Squirrally], I suspect your main problem is going to be one of scale. Would you like to offer a vague, back-of-envelope estimate of how much CO2 would be necessary to make a noticeable difference to Mars' ability to contain heat, and then divide that by the payload of one rocket?   

       Alternatively, would you consider a piecemeal approach using sealed domes?
pertinax, Jan 12 2009
  

       I am quite aware of the amount of gas needed hence the compression, also I think it is possible that you could launch it into a large dome-like structure, that way the gas could potentially be contained inside, although not able to sustain life with one my, plan involves launching 5-6 though it was not mentioned above, as this is about the invention not the system.
Squirrally, Jan 12 2009
  

       I think we have a problem of scale here. The idea of flying dirt and grass seeds (and water and butane) to mars is comical. Either all the resources needed exist in situ or they don't and there is no way we are going to fly them there. Furthermore no plan for anything on mars works unless you face the fact that mars lacks an ionosphere thus is constantly bombarded with radiation on the surface.
WcW, Jan 12 2009
  
      
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