Can We Breathe on Mars?

Imagine this: you're standing on the surface of Mars. The red dust swirls around you, the distant sun barely peeks over the horizon, and you're ready to explore. But wait—can we breathe on Mars? It's a question that crosses many minds, especially with all the talk about sending humans to the Red Planet.

Here’s the thing: Mars is fascinating. It’s the most Earth-like planet in our solar system, but despite all its potential, it has one major issue for us humans: the atmosphere. And no, I’m not just talking about the weather. If you were to step outside on Mars without a spacesuit, let’s just say it wouldn’t end well.

The Atmosphere of Mars: Thin and Mostly Carbon Dioxide

So, why can't we breathe on Mars? Well, the short answer is: because the air is mostly carbon dioxide (CO2), and we need oxygen (O2) to survive. Earth’s atmosphere is made up of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and a tiny bit of other gases. Mars, on the other hand, has an atmosphere that’s about 96% carbon dioxide, with only a trace amount of oxygen (less than 0.2%). Imagine trying to breathe in a place where there’s almost no oxygen… yeah, it’s not going to happen.

Even though CO2 is what plants need to survive, it’s definitely not something humans can inhale. In fact, too much carbon dioxide can actually be deadly, causing suffocation and other health issues. So, without a spacesuit or some sort of oxygen supply, breathing on Mars is just not possible.

The Pressure Problem: It’s Too Thin to Support Life

Okay, so let’s say you could somehow avoid the carbon dioxide issue and find a way to breathe. There’s still another huge problem: the atmospheric pressure on Mars. You see, the atmospheric pressure on Mars is less than 1% of Earth’s. That means the air is so thin that it would be like trying to breathe at the top of the world’s tallest mountain, without oxygen tanks, 24/7.

At this low pressure, you wouldn’t even be able to take in enough air to breathe, and it would make things like liquids boil at a much lower temperature. Essentially, the conditions are so extreme that it’s not just hard to breathe; your body would have a tough time handling it altogether.

Temperature and Weather: A Cold Reception

Mars is cold. Really cold. On average, the surface temperature is around -80 degrees Fahrenheit (-60°C), but it can vary greatly depending on where you are and the time of day. It’s not just a chilly evening breeze; it’s the kind of cold that could freeze your body in minutes if you weren’t properly suited up.

Now, I know what you’re thinking—why not just throw on a jacket and call it a day? Unfortunately, the temperature isn’t the only thing that makes Mars inhospitable. Combine the freezing cold, low pressure, and lack of breathable oxygen, and you’ve got a cocktail of deadly conditions.

Can We Make It Work?

Alright, so let’s get real here. We’re not giving up on Mars just yet, right? There’s a lot of talk about colonizing Mars, with big names like Elon Musk and NASA pushing the idea of human settlements on the Red Planet. But here’s the thing: we would need technology to create breathable air. Whether it's through advanced life support systems in spacesuits or habitats that produce oxygen, the goal is to find a way to create an artificial atmosphere that would allow us to breathe.

For example, NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in 2021, is equipped with an experiment called MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment). MOXIE takes in CO2 from the Martian atmosphere and converts it into oxygen, though it’s a small-scale process at the moment. But who knows? Maybe one day, we could develop a system that generates enough oxygen for us to breathe on Mars without relying on tanks.

So, What’s Next?

It’s kind of wild to think about how far we’ve come in space exploration. Sure, breathing on Mars is still a long way off, but we’re making progress. Who would’ve thought just 50 years ago that humans would land on the Moon, or that we would even be considering living on another planet?

Of course, Mars remains a tough place to live, and it would take years, if not decades, to figure out how to make it habitable for humans. We’re not going to be walking around in T-shirts and shorts anytime soon, and those future Martian colonies will likely look more like spaceship communities than something out of a sci-fi movie. But hey, we’ll get there, step by step.

In the meantime, if you’ve ever dreamed of exploring Mars, don’t forget: you’ll need more than just a cool spacesuit—you’ll need a whole lot of oxygen, and probably a good deal of patience, too. Keep your helmets on!

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.