[Marcus]

1. Terraforming on Mars:
As I understand it, the atmospheric pressure on Mars is very low - similar to that on the top of Everest (or even less perhaps). As it is impossible to make a cup of tea on Everest as the water boils (and gives off steam) at too low a temperature, what would happen if a borehole were sunk into the ground down to a water table (if indeed there are such things) on Mars. Would the low pressure cause the water to boil involuntarily, and if so, what effect would this have on the planet with the sudden increase of moisture in Martian atmosphere?

2, Cheap space launches
If a giant cylinder were constructed many miles tall, the top of which went out of the Earth's atmosphere into space, with a door at the top, and bearing in mind that there is a vacuum in space, were you to place a space craft at the bottom of the cylinder on the ground, and then open the doors at the top, would the space craft get sucked out into space - no fuel required?

I'd love to know the answers

[Noah]

Just my thoughts on your questions.

1. Yes, I believe Mars atmosphere is 1/1000 the pressure of Earth's. I would think that if enough of the water was boiled away, it would create a greenhouse effect in the atmosphere, which would warm the planet. It is possible that doing this would help release the carbon dioxide in the soil, which would increase atmospheric pressure and temperature even more.

2. I don't believe that the suction from the vacuum would be enough to over come the Earth's gravity. If it was, I would think our atmosphere would have already been dissolved.

Noah