Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 05:01:47 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V15 #176 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Tue, 8 Sep 92 Volume 15 : Issue 176 Today's Topics: Is NASA really planning to Terraform Mars? Welcome to the Space Digest!! Please send your messages to "space@isu.isunet.edu", and (un)subscription requests of the form "Subscribe Space " to one of these addresses: listserv@uga (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle (THENET), or space-REQUEST@isu.isunet.edu (Internet). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Sep 92 06:52:32 GMT From: Nick Janow Subject: Is NASA really planning to Terraform Mars? Newsgroups: sci.space knapp@spot.Colorado.EDU (David Knapp) enquires: > Thomas, would you expound on which bacteria or fungi can exist in a hot > sulfuric acid/sulfur dioxide environment [Venus' upper atmosphere]? I don't know if there are any microorganisms that can survive those conditions (I don't know that there aren't, either). However, Perhaps advances in understanding enzymes and other building blocks of life will lead to engineered life forms that can survive--even thrive--in that environment. These new building blocks needn't be based on Terran life; they need only meet the requirements for life on Venus (survival and replication, and possibly mutation). They could even be wild & weird, such as buckyballs stuffed with sulfur and/or some metal available as dust in the upper atmosphere, and with chlorine or fluorine inside or out. Of course, the real problem with Venus is the lack of hydrogen, or the excess of oxygen. Might Venus lose oxygen at a significant rate if there was free oxygen in the upper atmosphere? Might free metal in the crust take in some of the excess oxygen? The possibilities are interesting to think about, if nothing else. :) -- Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 176 ------------------------------