# Terraforming



## Tebok (Apr 25, 2008)

Does this technology exist in the 41 Millennium? 
Any mention of the Imperium terraforming and repopulating a planet that had been rendered lifeless by the Tyranids or Exterminatus?


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## Nave Senrag (Jul 8, 2010)

Well most concepts of terraforming deal with changing a planet with a few attributes that are good for Earth based life into one with all of them. A planet sucked dry by Tyranids or exterminatused has nothing left but rock.


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## Tebok (Apr 25, 2008)

Nave Senrag said:


> Well most concepts of terraforming deal with changing a planet with a few attributes that are good for Earth based life into one with all of them. A planet sucked dry by Tyranids or exterminatused has nothing left but rock.


From Lexicanum: 



> The 'Red Planet' as it is called, is acclaimed as a wonder of the galaxy. In the early 22nd century it became the first planet to be terraformed by humans. After being made habitable, the planet was settled by industrial cartels, and it soon developed into the first Hive World and a center of industry and scientific advancement.


Very early in the 40K universe timeline, they were able to turn a lifeless rock into a habital world. So unless the 'technology was lost' I don't see why they can't turn a rock into an inhabitable planet.


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## Rems (Jun 20, 2011)

I do recall mentioning of the Imperium slowly terraforming some current planets. Certainly however humans used to posses the ability- Mars as an example. The Eldar too could terraform, again not sure if they still can. I would assume so given the Beil Tan's crusade to reclaim Eldar maiden worlds. Presumably they're going to try and change them back to the way they were.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Terraforming is still possible, but it is a very long and costly process. 

Most worlds subjected to Exterminatus are often declared to be forbidden zones, and those claimed by tyranids and necrons are similarly declared off limits.


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## MEQinc (Dec 12, 2010)

Also it's not a foolproof process in 40k. In the Dark Heresy rulebooks there are mentions of a few worlds where terraforming has failed to take.

And as far as the Eldar go, that technology is likely lost to them. Their quest to regain the maiden worlds is more of a pride thing then an actual 'we are going to use them' plan.


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## ThoseKrazyKasrkin (Aug 2, 2011)

You should look up the way they propose mars may be terraformed im the distant future. Interesting stuff and seems completely plausible. But from what i understand planets need a specific criteria of things to be sucessfully terraformed eg: liquid water or ice, oxygen in the atmosphere or trapped in rocks ect.


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## Dicrel Seijin (Apr 2, 2011)

Tebok said:


> Does this technology exist in the 41 Millennium?


In _Faith and Fire_, there was mention of such technology. On the planet Neva it is an article of faith that volcanoes would have engulfed the world had not the Emperor, with his technology, halted their advance.

And in the Rogue Trader edition, terraforming run amok is the reason for some of the deathworlds.




Tebok said:


> Any mention of the Imperium terraforming and repopulating a planet that had been rendered lifeless by the Tyranids or Exterminatus?


I've not heard of this. I'm pretty sure that once a planet is declared--what was it?--_Terra Perdita_? Isn't part of the Exterminatus process to deploy buoys to warn people away?


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## Harriticus (Nov 10, 2010)

Was very prevalent in the Dark Age of Technology (why so many worlds in 40k have oxygenated atmospheres, habitable life, and so on). These days I think the technology has been more or less lost to the Imperium. 

I imagine the Eldar and Tau both have their versions of it.


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## Wusword77 (Aug 11, 2008)

Tebok said:


> From Lexicanum:
> 
> 
> 
> Very early in the 40K universe timeline, they were able to turn a lifeless rock into a habital world. So unless the 'technology was lost' I don't see why they can't turn a rock into an inhabitable planet.


Except Mars has an atmosphere and water on the planet. You make it sound like humanity Terraformed the Moon with the way you're talking about it.

In order to Terraform a planet it has to meet some of the requirements for the world to support life (an atmosphere, water, similar gravity, be in the goldilocks zone of a solar system, ect.). Worlds that the Nids consume are barely more then large asteroids. There is nothing left on them, no water, no atmosphere, nothing. There's nothing to Terraform, the planet is left as nothing but bare rock.

Exterminatus is a different ball game all together. Exterminatus is very rarely used to a similar effect as the Nids (generally only on worlds devoid of live already, with 2 stage Cyclonic Torpedoes). Most methods of Exterminatus (virus bombs and Atmosphere incinerator torpedo) seem to share a similar trait in that the end result burns off all Oxygen in the atmosphere of the planet (which on a Earth like world would be around 21% of the atmosphere). After such an attack you, in theory, should be able to re-Terraform the world.


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## The Gunslinger (Apr 4, 2011)

i think i remember reading in one of the nids codex's that they tried to re colonise a world that was invaded by nids and then virus bombed and they found a carnifex hybernating underground, after that they just flat out left them well alone.


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## Androxine Vortex (Jan 20, 2010)

Not sure about Exterminatus but I know in Battle of The Fang it says that the Mecanicum could have turned Fenris into a green paradise if they dsired.

I dont believe the Imperium would waste their time and resources into recreating a habitable planet after it is bombed by an exterminatus. The point of an Ex. is that the planet is beyond hope and it is a last resort. So instead of putting so much effort into just one planet they can spread out those scarce resources and tech to other worlds already in use. 

So I believe it is possible just maybe it will take thousands of years for radiation and stuff to dissapear.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

After Exterminatus, a world is literally scorched bare, rendered into nothing more than a barren rock. In many ways it is as efficient as being drained by a tyranid hive fleet or scoured by a necron force. 

Simply put, those worlds are as good as lost. It`d be easier to begin anew elsewhere.


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## Davidicus 40k (Jun 4, 2010)

Disregarding things like efficiency and logic, it'd be cool to live on a post-Exterminatus world that had been terraformed to become habitable again. You'd always have the weight of history crushing down on you, and no doubt the Inquisition would be keeping a closer eye on you. Take a planet slain by Exterminatus, given new life, and make it a shining example of Imperial faith and resilience. That'd be cool .


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## Androxine Vortex (Jan 20, 2010)

Davidicus 40k said:


> Disregarding things like efficiency and logic, it'd be cool to live on a post-Exterminatus world that had been terraformed to become habitable again. You'd always have the weight of history crushing down on you, and no doubt the Inquisition would be keeping a closer eye on you. Take a planet slain by Exterminatus, given new life, and make it a shining example of Imperial faith and resilience. That'd be cool .


And highly unlikely :laugh:


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## Hellados (Sep 16, 2009)

In one of the heresy books someone and someone else have a fight and smash outside (i'm not saying who as it's a spoiler) however the book mentions and it is cold, has no air, covered in dust, that kinda thing so I would guess the moon wasn't teraformed.

Also nids take the minerals too right? Exterminatos doesn't so I guess they cold re-settle if they need to


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