A Mars Colony and the effect on Earth's Thermodynamics

[Launch321TN]

Will everything that we move from Earth to Mars effect Earth's thermodynamics negatively? If we are moving material from one planet to another what effects may Earth experience?

[cjameshuff]

Will everything that we move from Earth to Mars effect Earth's thermodynamics negatively? If we are moving material from one planet to another what effects may Earth experience?

Musk is talking about eventually having 1000 Starships ferrying people and materials to Mars every synod (every 26 months, when Earth and Mars are in position for an efficient trip). That will take about 10000 launches to get them and their propellant into orbit. That's about 540 petajoules of energy released during all the launches. The Earth receives an equivalent amount of energy in the form of sunlight every 3 seconds. So, that'd be an increase of about 46 parts per billion. The sun's own variation in output is thousands of times greater than this.

[Launch321TN]

So, that'd be an increase of about 46 parts per billion. The sun's own variation in output is thousands of times greater than this.

Thank you!

[Jens]

Just an interesting fact, but it is estimated that about 60 tons of cosmic dust falls into the atmosphere each day. Of course, this is insignificant compared to the mass of the earth, but on the other hand, the amount of mass we could take to Mars each day would be insignificant compared to it.

[Launch321TN]

Just an interesting fact, but it is estimated that about 60 tons of cosmic dust falls into the atmosphere each day. Of course, this is insignificant compared to the mass of the earth, but on the other hand, the amount of mass we could take to Mars each day would be insignificant compared to it.

Right and the same goes for energy, I guess I'm thinking the removal of minerals and H2O from earth. It is just a thought experiment that is leading me nowhere.

[Noclevername]

Right and the same goes for energy, I guess I'm thinking the removal of minerals and H2O from earth. It is just a thought experiment that is leading me nowhere.

Minerals and volatiles for any large scale space activity should as a practical matter, mostly come from space bodies; comets, asteroids, moons, Mars. It would take a monstrous effort to build anything large enough to live in permanently using only Earth resources. Known as in situ resource utilization.