Design of a human settlement on Mars using in-situ resources

Date

2016-07-10

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

46th International Conference on Environmental Systems

Abstract

Mars provides plenty of raw materials needed to establish a lasting, self-sufficient human colony on its surface. Due to the planet's vast distance from Earth, it is neither possible nor economically reasonable to provide permanent, interplanetary supply. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) will be necessary to keep the Earth launch burden and mission costs as low as possible, and to provide – apart from propellant and life support – a variety of construction material. However, to include outposts on other planets into the scope of human spaceflight also opens up new psychological and sociological challenges. Crews will live in extreme environments under isolated and confined conditions for much longer periods of time than ever before. Therefore, the design of a Mars habitat requires most careful consideration of physiological as well as psychosocial conditions of living in space.

In this design for a Martian settlement, the author proposes that – following preliminary automated exploration – a basic surface base brought from Earth would be set up. Bags of unprocessed Martian regolith would be used to provide additional shielding for the habitat. Once the viability of the base and its production facilities are secured, the settlement would be expanded, using planetary resources. Martian concrete – processed regolith with a polymeric binder – would be used as main in-situ construction material. To provide optimum living and working conditions, the base would respond to the environment and the residents' number and needs, thereby evolving and growing continuously. A maximum of adaptability in the interior configuration as well as flexibility in the layout of the base would enable the crew to configure the space according to their needs and living preferences.

The proposed design shows how an elementary surface base on Mars could evolve into a settlement and gain increasing self-sufficiency by using local resources.

Description

Austria
Vienna University of Technology
502
ICES502: Space Architecture
Vienna, Austria
Marlies Arnhof, Vienna University of Technology, Austria
The 46th International Conference on Environmental Systems was held in Vienna, Austria, USA on 10 July 2016 through 14 July 2016.

Keywords

Martian colony, Mars habitat, in-situ resource utilization, locally produced construction materials, self-sufficiency, adaptable structure, flexible configuration

Citation