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quasi-dyson's sphere

construct a space station around mars
 
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A Dyson's Sphere is a hollow sphere constructed around a star intended to gather all solar energe available instead of a fraction of a percent. how about constructing a modular space station around mars and using it for converting interstellar gasses into a viable atmosphere? (what the hey, this is the half-bakery)
solaryon, Aug 17 2001

Dyson Sphere FAQ http://www.d.kth.se...1-asa/dysonFAQ.html
The nitty-gritty. [jester, Jun 28 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

oort cloud http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oort_cloud
where comets come from [the great unknown, Jun 08 2006]

[link]






       so the sphere holds in atmosphere, yes? how does it make it... trapping hydrogen? ok but then you need plants to turn CO2 into oxygen to react with the hydrogen to make water... you need the water first though so you can have the plants... the sphere will block out sunlight stopping the plants growing and stop us getting in when it is finished...   

       despite this I am voting for it anyway - I like teraforming ideas...
RobertKidney, Aug 17 2001
  

       Interstellar gasses are awfully sparse. Better to mine ice from Jupiter's moons and ship it to Mars. Make the sphere transparent to infrared and visible light, but block UV and higher-energy radiation...better yet, don't just block it, use thin-film photovoltaic material to generate electricity from the UV. Then you could use electrolysis to split water from Europa (or from underground on Mars) into hydrogen and oxygen, add the oxygen to the Martian atmosphere, and do what you will with the hydrogen. The transparent sphere should exacerbate Mars' greenhouse effect, warming the polar icecaps and releasing CO2 (and more water).   

       I would suggest Saran Wrap for the sphere. Maybe a generic brand to keep the costs down.   

       [Psst--"quasi" as in Quasimodo.]
Dog Ed, Aug 17 2001
  

       A sphere that is 95% reflective opaque and trasparent only at the south polar cap should produce a neat jet of moisture as condensing water runs down the sphere to the south pole. On a planet or moon with very little gravity, this jet of moisture could keep a biosphere hovering and gently rotating. One side effect of this would be the heavier fruit on the trees would be pulled downward where it could be easily picked.   

       What the hell--have to practice somewhere on something before building one completely around Mars.
reensure, Aug 17 2001
  

       Quite right, Dog Ed. The bell-ringer was, indeed, a modo only to some degree.
The Military, Aug 18 2001
  

       I still want to know how we are suposed to get inside the shere when it is finished...
RobertKidney, Aug 23 2001
  

       You can also further the use of aforementioned Elecrolysis in a beauty shop in case some lovely from Venus stops by to have her moustache thinned
thumbwax, Aug 23 2001
  

       the idea of a modular space station/ planet covering would probably work just as well on the planet Venus which would be very earthlike if it was cooler. if the sphere was reflective then the sunlight would not get to the planet, like a perpetual eclipse, and in about ten years it would be really nice.
adeps, May 30 2002
  

       If you had a space stations the size of a planet why would you then need the planet?
hiho, Jun 28 2002
  

       I'm entirely guessing, but wouldn't having the planet there serve to keep the sphere in a constant, known orbit around its star? There would, I'm sure, be many ways for harvesting benefits from the planet's gravity without having to accept the adverse effects of it.
jester, Jun 28 2002
  

       hiho: The planet's only really useful if you construct most of the sphere from thin transparent material as per DogEd's annotation.   

       [admin: changed spelling in title: qasi -> quasi]
st3f, Jun 28 2002
  

       I was just reading the FAQ mentioned & it had a brief descripton of a SupraJupiter, which is a dyson sphere around the gas giant to capture the planets' energy. If there's going to be terraforming on Mars, other methods may be considered instead of trapping gases inside a bubble around the whole planet.(this takes domed cities to a new level) As for water, it might be a good idea to redirect a comet into an orbit around Mars & tranfer the ice to the surface.
the great unknown, Jan 14 2003
  

       How much water would a comet contain? How many of them would we have to redirect into Mars to have any effect on its climate?
sadie, Jan 16 2003
  

       I think that solaryon's using what the help file calls "magic".
talen, Jan 16 2003
  

       comets come from the oort cloud (see link) that contains thoundands of comet-like particles. we can send some unmans out there to push some so that they land on Mars. the oort may have enough water to terraform all the planets.
the great unknown, Jun 08 2006
  

       hey.....didn't they do this in space balls?   

       i'd suggest using a hydrogen bomb to warm the planet.....   

       (hey...it worked in running man)   

       Otherwise supposedly their are liquid-methane rain   

       So, we have a (serran) wrap like atmostphere that collects energy.   

       And rocks are basically oxygenated ores.   

       React the two hot enough and you should get lots of hot air and moisture. Should do something.   

       Anyways, i suggest practicing on the moon first because you wouldn't want an actually smiling moon with led's and advertisements?
compatta, Jun 08 2006
  
      
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