Elon Musk's Plan To Colonize Mars Faces Several Problems Including 'Cosmic Vandalism' Of Life That Already Exists

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp, SpaceX, is building fully reusable launch vehicles capable of carrying humans to Mars, where Musk dreams of building colonies and factories for sustainable life. But scientists say there are several problems with the billionaire's space aspirations.

Life Among The Stars: Musk wants to have a million people living on Mars by 2050. He has said in the past that the red planet is the logical next step if there was a threat to humanity on Earth.

According to a Business Insider report citing multiple scientists, it makes sense to bring humanity to other planets, but Mars may not be such a hot idea. 

For one, there isn't enough carbon dioxide available on Mars to make the atmosphere support sustainability through terraforming, the idea that you can modify a planet to make it habitable for humans.

Christopher Edwards, instrument scientist and associate professor of planetary science at Northern Arizona University, said even if we were to develop the technology to terraform on Mars, which currently doesn't exist, there "just isn't enough CO2."

Even if there were ample CO2 molecules, Mars doesn't have the required magnetic core to stop the protective gasses from disappearing over time. 

Another problem is that it's very difficult to transport people to Mars. To date, only 40% of Mars missions have successfully landed on the planet — none with humans on board.

See Also: Elon Musk's Starship Stands Ready, But Awaiting FAA Nod For Over A Month

Planetary scientist Bruce Jakosky told Insider that the feat is so "hard" that he doesn't consider Musk's plans "realistic or even plausible."

There's also a lingering question that could be jeopardized if we get people on Mars before scientists finish studying it: Are we alone?

University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory professor Andrew Coates noted Mars has a lot of the conditions that would make it a good place to settle, which is why Musk believes Mars is the answer, but that's also the reason Coates thinks we should leave it alone. 

If humans were to somehow successfully terraform Mars, it could destroy potential evidence of ancient aliens on the red planet, the space science professor said, calling it "cosmic vandalism."

Not only is it difficult to get people to Mars, but it would also be difficult to get our bodies to become acclimated to the differences. Scientists estimate astronauts who travel beyond the International Space Station would be exposed to radiation levels similar to what you would experience having x-rays on your chest performed between 150 and 6,000 times. 

Earth's atmosphere protects us from radiation, but Mars' atmosphere is about 100 times thinner. Coates said the level of radiation on Mars would likely "fry anything on the surface."

Alongside the radiation problem, the difference in gravity would also likely pose problems for the body. Mars has 62.5% less gravity than Earth and lower gravity can impact your circulatory system, brain and balance system. Space travel can also take a toll on your mental health. 

Board The Rocket Ship: If you want to get exposure to SpaceX as an investor while the company remains private, there are ways to do so. Alphabet Inc GOOGGOOGL owns a stake in the company after it invested $1 billion in 2015. 

The Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust, which trades on the London Stock Exchange, also maintains a position in SpaceX. At 6.3% of the trust, it's the largest weighting in the portfolio, as of Aug. 31. 

Publicly traded alternatives to SpaceX include Rocket Lab USA Inc RKLB, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc SPCE and ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF ARKX, among others.

Read Next: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Applauds NASA After Psyche Mission: 'I Love NASA!'

This illustration was generated using artificial intelligence via MidJourney.