Terraforming Mars, the process of changing a planet to support Earth-like life, has long been considered a science-fiction idea. But a new workshop summary says recent advances may make it realistic enough to study as a serious scientific question, according to ScienceDaily.
The summary, prepared for the 2025 Green Mars Workshop and authored by Dr. Erika DeBenedictis of Pioneer Labs, points to lower launch costs, improved synthetic biology and better climate models as reasons the discussion has shifted. Instead of focusing only on whether terraforming is physically possible, researchers are now asking whether humanity should pursue it and how it could be done safely.
The proposal begins with warming Mars by several tens of degrees over a few decades using engineered aerosols or greenhouse gases. Researchers say the planet may contain enough frozen water to eventually form a large ocean, and that a rise of about 30 degrees Celsius could start melting those reserves and create stable surface water.
After that, the plan would involve introducing engineered microbes that could survive Mars’s harsh conditions. Over time, those organisms could help alter the atmosphere through photosynthesis, although building an oxygen-rich atmosphere suitable for complex life would likely take centuries or longer, according to the workshop summary.
The researchers also note major unknowns, including what lies beneath Mars’s ice sheets, how dust storms might change in a warmer climate and whether enough resources exist on Mars for large-scale water electrolysis. The summary also raises ethical concerns, including the possibility of destroying evidence of Martian history or any native life that might exist there.
