by 
Deep Blue
ANSWERS: 10
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Well, if we do so, it will only be temporary. As in, might last just a few million years... Mars' mass is too low for oxygen to stay around for more than that kind of timeframe (ie, in open atmosphere, Mars isn't heavy enough to keep free moving oxygen "down"... you would have oxygen leaching and "errosion" out of the atmosphere there). But, honestly, with dillegent effort, we could start the process now. Just take a mess of the larger ice chunks in the system, and slam into Mars (to have plenty of water to work with). Ion rockets (while slow) would be the best "nudge" engines for the comets. Biggest problem would be getting the continetal started back up on the planet; not certain that water would be the only needed solution. Kinda curious, myself, what Mars' core is like, honestly... ...but, to answer your question: we could be doing it now. We are just a bit lazy and lax, that's all.
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No. I think you give us too much credit for being pro-active about saving the human race or being that adventurous.
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Simply put, yes Within the next hundred years, we will have started forming an atmosphere on mars. Within 200 years, we will have colonies there.
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Yes we will But when you say? Well, as soon as people like me get there! :) But first we need to send people iceteroid hunting, and towe them back to martian orbit for shipment to the surface. Ugh you dont want to see the fuel bill...
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My signs point to YES! Maybe far in the future I believe. It takes time but it's worth it.
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We can't even afford to terraform the earth.
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I think trying to change Mars sounds like a great idea and all but I also think building cities under domes is far more feasable.
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Terraforming Mars within the next 10,000 years is fantasy; not science.
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<misposted>
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Yes, but when depends on which way we go with our technology. We COULD start within 100-200 years, and have a breathable atmosphere in 500. But we'll need something better than standard chemical rockets to get the job done.
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