MISSION STATEMENT

"Some people consider the idea of terraforming Mars heretical - humanity playing God. Yet others would see in such an accomplishment the most profound vindication of the divine nature of the human spirit, exercised in its highest form to bring a dead world to life." - Dr. Robert Zubrin

Terraforming advocates such as Dr. Robert Zubrin and Richard L. S. Taylor believe that it is humanity's moral obligation to make other worlds suitable for life, as a continuation of the history of life transforming the environments around it on Earth. Both point out that Earth would eventually be destroyed if Nature takes its course, so that humanity faces a very long-term choice between terraforming other worlds or allowing all Earth life to become extinct. As Mr. Taylor so succinctly put it in his terraforming slogan, "move over microbe."

We at the ARTP want to take their ideas just one step further: Paraterraforming in conjunction with Environmental Generators. Paraterraforming, also known as the "worldhouse" concept, is a derivative of terraforming which ultimately supersedes the most major technical difficulties involved in terraforming. For example, on a planet surface such as Venus in which the planet's entire dense 9 MPa carbon dioxide atmosphere would need to be altered and planet's 500 ºC (770 K) surface temperature reduced. Rather than attempt to change an entire planet's atmosphere, a paraterraforming approach would instead involve creating pockets of domed structures which create their own inhabitable atmospheres and can grow with the size of the population within. Each enclosure eventually grows to encompass the planet's useable areas or only as much as the planet's population requires.

Now, marry that concept with the concept of Whole World Terraforming. This is where the Environmental Generators we have developed come into play. These Generators are designed to extend the environment beyond the confines of the "dome". Once the domes are established, the Generators kick in "growing" the world itself into larger pockets of livable space. This allows us to grow the gaps between domes until ultimately we can achieve a whole world usable environment that isn't "under glass".

The enclosures each consist of a transparent roof, and the enclosure is pressurized with breathable atmosphere. These enclosures are also anchored with tension towers and cables, as well as compartmentalized for safety precautions in the event of a potential breech or system failure. This technology has existed since the 1960's.

The generators are simple atmosphere processors that leech some of the oxygen from the dome environments while feeding usable elements of the planet's existing atmosphere into the dome system for use by that environment (Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, etc.). These generators also work as energy collection systems utilizing solar energy to not only run their own processes but to also maintain the systems within the domes as well. This is a technological symbiosis that works to alter the landscape permanently.

Imagine the day when you can travel with your children to a safely regulated world of lush green forests and untouched lake beds, leaving behind the troubles of an over-populated life in a big city. Not only will we make that dream a reality for all of mankind, but we will make it possible for you to choose the star you live under.

The Antarctic Regional Terraforming Project has been in operation for nearly twenty years. Early studies conducted in a handful of biodomes around the world, including Montreal and the Arizona desert, have given us the knowledge to apply them to real world environments. We have developed means for adapting to and recreating Nature. As we speak, the ARTP has successfully maintained 111 habitable environments for humans for nearly three years in the otherwise unforgiving atmosphere of the Antarctic continent. Imagine what we can do on New Worlds!

CURRENT EVENTS

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Timeline

1991 - ARTP (Antarctic Regional Terraforming Project) chooses the site to begin groundbreaking for a new project in environmental manipulation and control.

1993 - ARTP first wave bio-facilities completed and brought online.

1994 - First long term researchers arrive for a six month stay in the already changing environment. Average air temperatures within the research area have shown a nearly 60 degree Fahrenheit swing. Surface ice has nearly completely melted away.

1994 - Second wave researchers arrive and join the existing crew. The environment shows amazing progress with the growth of dozens of species of plant life. The crew is growing much of its own food at this stage.

1996 - One project's main environmental generator fails. This is nearly catastrophic to the Project, resulting in a nearly 2 year setback in the environment's growth.

1999 - The Project exceeds previous size records, but eventually holds steady at 22 acres of growth.

2001 - Regional growth holds steady at 22 acres with no major fluctuations for a full 2 year term. Plant and animal life now contributes greatly to the environment's maintenance. Environmental Generators no longer need to run at full capacity to maintain environment.

2003 - New Environmental Generators are installed. The new models are smaller in size and take less energy to maintain. Some growth in the environment size is observed, but the net result is considered negligible.