Could Cockroaches Live on Mars?

If ever there was a reason for Mars to attack the Earth, it would be because we sent cockroaches to Mars.

Considering the amount of effort mankind (in general) puts in to controlling if not eradicating cockroaches, I'm sure the martains would not appreciate the "gift"..

That said, cockroaches are an opportunistic survivor and may well eke out an existence on Mars.

As for humans it is not enough to merely survive, we must succeed. Mars in its current state would not sustain us for very long. It would be an interesting place to visit, not so sure about staying there though..

We have enough problems with introduction of non-native species in areas of our own world. You want to introduce one to a totally different world. Have we not learned our lesson it that regard here at home.

I think the introduction of one species to Mars will be enough. Man if or when he ever makes it.

Man has shown great fortitude in exploring and living in adverse conditions. Though we may not be suited that never stopped us before.

Oh and cockroaches will make it to Mars soon enough with out us shipping them there on purpose. Just as they have done before they with stowaway with humans on their visits there. Along with the rats and mice. Bed bugs too. Lice! The list goes on.

So until then if any species want to go to Mars let them find their on way there.

Roaches? no, nowhere NEAR enough oxygen. But bacteria? sure.

Maybe I'm not reading it right or am just ignorant...

One must first establish some plant life on Mars that converts some energy source to food.

Sounds good...

The most abundant energy source here on Earth is solar energy.

I'll buy that for a nickel...

Nobody has yet to identify any plant that can convert any energy source that exists on Mars into food.

Is there not sunlight on Mars?

Methods for terraforming Venus and Mars have been somewhat discussed in Sci Fi of the past century. I've forgotten some of the scientific details. Seems I am left with a remember that while Mars is more Earthlike of Solar System planets, Venus was a better terraforming project.

Personally I myself am for making up life that could thrive on Mars or Venus.

You'd need to put Ceres and probably quite a few other large asteroids in orbit around Venus to pull off enough atmosphere to bring the pressure and temperature down enough to work with it.

Might be "simpler" to suck up and 'space truck' surplus Venus atmoshere over to Mars?

Instantly, Deep Purple's "Space Trucking" track comes to mind......rattling around inside my noggin'.....

Now I'm really dating myself! LOL

The answer redfred gave prompted me to check on Martian Soil. The Wiki article linked indicates 'Soil' is not quite the correct term, as there has been no organic matter discovered in any sample to date. Thus, the surface of Mars is (as far as we know) sterile. The comment "One must first establish some plant life on Mars..." gets a deserved GA from me, because it establishes (maybe demonstrates is a better word) a precursor that will not occur. Yes, there is sunlight, but until roaches can convert sunlight directly to sustenance there will be no successful invasion.

Did I get that right redfred?

[edit] Took me a while to compose, I see redfred has already responded.

"because it establishes (maybe demonstrates is a better word) a precursor that will not occur."

That may not be the case forever. If manned flights to mars ever to come to pass, there will almost certainly be inadvertent bacterial contamination that occurs. the bacteria will be earth bacteria of course, but it may jumpstart the eventual terraformation of mars.

...but there IS life on Mars...

ROFLMAO

GREAT POST!!!!

Dave P

I have found hares living on Uranus.

Dont think we should take too much live there. We will contaminate the planet for ever and will never be able to investigate it in it current wounderful state.

Said that read some stuff about Guam and the missing Birds or Australia holds a lot of examples of species brought in and being devastating for the native animals.

On teh other handside we will never be able to stop migration and if it is microbes and stuff.

Now here is my question: Should we ever bring a lifeform of Mars to Earth to study it further? How much devastation on Earth is this bringing?

Me

Let us put a proposal to NASA.

I am ready to give those from my place.. free of charge

If we, are to place a cockroach on Mars, several issues have to be dealt with:

1 Must be contained but have enough soil to burrow

2 Must be contained in the original container with no possible escape

3 Must be contained

4 Must be contained, if any possibility exists that it can break free.

5 Stop before you begin and forget about it

ok, here's the scenario. A container with 1000 cockaroaches is sent to Mars and lands safely. Jar opens and they exit, and explore. they had air and food/water on the trip so they live on the residuals for a short while. Then the lack of air gets a lot of them, but some survive somehow. The few remaining eat each other to survive but then that runs out and they almost all die. But, one or two somehow keep going. (perhaps their feces, combined with inedible roach parts blend with something in the Martain soil - just a guess, but who knows) Yes, to our amazement, we would see that life indeed goes on.

Certainly chances would increase with 10k or a million roaches, but my point is I think we would be suprised that they would indeed find a way to eat, breathe and survive.

My opinion, prove me wrong.

Frankly as the originator of this Thread I'm cranked I somehow missed whatever caused Admin interference in our discussion.

Some say no way a cock-ah-roach could live on Mars. They do thrive around Pizza Parlors, or in Donut bakeries, but can eat cardboard and plastics.

Overall I am more interested in what on Earth could live on Mars naked, than cockroaches per se.

I'd imagine if you could dig deep enough - humans could

Making Morlocks?

Well he did have a feeling for physics that dude, might have even known of 'caisson disease', might have been aware that the atmosphere was 'thin'. One of the more interesting people to have over to dinner - well I think so.

I guess this entire debate depends on what one means by living on Mars. Humans have visited space for long periods of time. I'm not quite sure we should call it living though because everything to support life has been brought from Earth to space. It could be argued that this is just like life at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Everything that supports human life has been brought from another continent, usually during good weather.

It would be ironic and tragic if a few breeding cockroaches did sneak into an early Mars expedition. All of the food and oxygen calculations for supplies would be tragically under estimated.

Yeah well that McMurdo is the new fuzzy green one. Look back a bit and living/surviving in the Antarctic was done slightly differently.

I.e. I reject the analogy, as it never had to be 'fully supplied' - it's just a choice.

Ok so far as we know Mars lacks penguins and seals - but we don't actually know that nothing of any food equivalency exists for certain on Mars, as we don't actually know what could be living below the surface.

And who's to say those little rascals won't hit the caverns running and survive quite happily on bacteria and mold?

Not I. I'd want all the data before 'ruling it out'

Sending cockroaches to Mars via Micro Rockets by degree might be better than letting dogs die on camera.

Cock a roaches are right tough.

The Asteroid Belt is not too far from Mars. To terraform Mars I would consider finding a way to direct ice asteroids to Mars. On entry, some heat may be created to eventually melt the ice. It would take a while, and nobody would want to be down there while the ice meteors were coming down, unless the aim was very good.