View source for Luna and Mars Characteristics

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|+ ''' A Selection of Luna's and Mars' Characteristics ''' 
! Quality !! Luna !! Mars  
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| ''Atmosphere'' || Vacuum || 0.1 psi Carbon Dioxide 
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| Advantages || no barrier to high speed travel __ allows use of structural materials incompatible with oxygen and water __ no barrier to observations __ no wind born dust __ no requirement for structures to withstand weather  || convenient source of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and argon __ allows use of aerobraking and other aerodynamic effects __ protects against electrostatically levitated dust and micrometeors 
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| Disadvantages || leads to dewetting of lubricated surfaces __ can not be breathed by people or internal combustion engines __ requires space suit protection of people __ requires pressure chambers for industrial processing involving most liquids __ requires pressure chambers for industrial collection of gas __ no protection against micrometeoroids or electrostatically levitated dust || can not be breathed by people or internal combustion engines __ requires about the same suit protection of people as a vacuum __ requires pressure chambers for industrial processing involving most liquids __ blows dust storms __ interferes with observations __ requires structural considerations to deal with weather __ does not permit electrical acceleration to orbital velocity
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| ''Gravity'' || 1.62 meters per second squared || 3.66 meters per second squared 
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| Advantages || lower loading on structures to resist gravity than on Mars __ 04.7% of energy needed to orbit Earth can get to lunar orbit || lower loading on structures to resist gravity than on Earth __ 20% of energy needed to orbit Earth can get to Mars orbit 
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| Disadvantages || lunar gravity may be insufficient to maintain human health __ low gravity causes problems with low traction for construction work || Mars gravity  may be insufficient to maintain human health __ low gravity causes problems with low traction for construction work 
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| Round Trip Communications Delay || 2.56 seconds || about 23 minutes average, about 540 times the delay for Luna 
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| Disadvantages || remote controlled industrial development will be made more difficult || remote controlled industrial development will be made more difficult, perhaps requiring advances in artificial intelligence 
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| Availability of Elements Necessary Human Civilization || Volatiles such as mercury are rare. Especially hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen are very scarce.  Iron is present in small grains in reduced metallic state. || All needed elements are present.   
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The atmosphere of Mars being 0.1 psi Carbon Dioxide is taken from http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html
[[Category:Comparison of Luna and Mars]]