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Beautiful green forests spreading as far as you can see, enormous crystal-clear oceans filled with life and fresh breathable air. From the outside, our planet looks like the perfect paradise. Taking a closer look, however, shows an entirely different picture.
While in the past, Earth truly was a magnificent, clean place to live in, the image that we see today is far from perfect. With the development of technologies and the expansion of the human population, the planet’s resources have slowly but surely been depleted. Currently, a large chunk of forests has already been destroyed, the oceans are becoming more and more polluted and a huge amount of gases and other harmful particles is being released into the atmosphere. The worst part about this is that it is not going to stop. As the human population grows larger, even more materials are going to be used. All of this proves that Earth is simply not enough to sustain humanity anymore. There are already many plans aiming to inhabit other planets. Their main disadvantage, however, is that they are settled in the distant future. Exploring and settling on another planet fifty years into the future is not going to be enough. If we want to preserve our home, as beautiful as it is, change needs to happen now. Here is where Project Starlight comes in.
Project Starlight is an operation, that aims to make living on other planets possible, in the present. The project was started in February 2019 by Lunar Industries and is set to officially launch in December 2020. It involves three main phases, to ensure proper planning, construction and long term development. Phase 1 consists of making organisational arrangements, as well as getting government approval. Even thou the project itself is based entirely on private funding, there are a few things, requiring approval from the law. This phase also includes raising the necessary amount of money, to ensure that everything is up to standard and there are no safety hazards for the people involved. While using more expensive materials is going to complicate the operation’s execution, it will secure its succession and ensure that no unnecessary harm is done to the environment. Lastly, putting together a team that is appropriate for the mission’s purpose is going to take time. Many qualified scientists and engineers are going to be needed for everything to run as smoothly as possible, as well as, properly training the people, participating in the mission itself.
Entering Phase 2, things get a little more complicated. A planet, suitable for living needs to be selected. After a lot of research, Mars was chosen to be the operation’s destination. Even thou the red planet cannot sustain human life on its own, living there can be possible with proper design and construction. The next step is going to be, to find a way to reach our destination and be able to come back safely. After careful examination, the conclusion to use hydrogen-powered rockets was reached. It is the most effective and clean way of travelling in space. Once the planet’s surface is reached, construction of the colony begins. An air filtration system is going to be the top priority, as it is impossible to breathe without oxygen. The mechanism itself is going to be self-sustainable and the only thing it’s going to require is an energy source. Next on the list is going to be finding a clean energy source. The most efficient way to produce power is geothermal energy. There are constant volcanic eruptions and lots of other sources, from which heat can be drawn and then converted into electricity. In third place comes building a water filtration system. While both food and water are important for our bodies, we can last significantly less without water making the necessity for it higher. After the first three systems are constructed, building food farms and defensive mechanisms can begin. While there aren’t any other life forms that can harm us, the planet is far from safe. There are many safety hazards that we need to avoid. With this, Phase 2 comes to an end.
The last phase of Project Starlight consists of making arrangements for the future. Once the colony is finished, many new opportunities will arise. An important step will be to establish permanent communication with Earth. The possibility of making more settlements on the planet is a tempting idea, but we have to proceed with caution to avoid making the same mistakes we have made in the past. When the rest of the settlements are done, the transportation of more people from Earth can begin.
To summarise, Project Starlight’s main purpose is to create a new, self-sustainable home for humans to live in. The most important thing to remember is that this operation is not happening somewhere in the distant future it is happening now. Just because something sounds futuristic does not mean it can’t happen in the present. There is no better time than now.