Mars Colony

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chaseries

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What do you guys think the construction of a colony on Mars would look like?  With what materials would it be constructed?
 
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JonClarke

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Locally produced materials as much as possible.&nbsp; Brick, plaster, rock glass, polyethylene, possibility iron.. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>
 
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yevaud

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>What do you guys think the construction of a colony on Mars would look like?&nbsp; With what materials would it be constructed? </p><p>Posted by <em>chaseries</em></DIV></p><p>For a variety of functional reasons, I'd think they would be sub-surface colonies as much as possible.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>
 
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tampaDreamer

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Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>For a variety of functional reasons, I'd think they would be sub-surface colonies as much as possible. <br />Posted by yevaud</DIV><br /><br />I suggest reading Red Mars.&nbsp; Interesting fictional exploration of the idea.&nbsp; I definitely think it'll be locally produced materials, some kind of martian concrete. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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crazyeddie

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>What do you guys think the construction of a colony on Mars would look like?&nbsp; With what materials would it be constructed? <br /> Posted by chaseries</DIV></p><p>You may find this website interesting and useful:</p><p>http://www.marshome.org/</p><p>Be sure to click on the "Mars Hillside Settlement Concept" and "Artistic Renderings" links&nbsp;</p><br /> <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/5/0/0588d8c7-37ce-40d4-8052-8bc4ebd72d22.Medium.jpg" alt="" /><br /><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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dragon04

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>For a variety of functional reasons, I'd think they would be sub-surface colonies as much as possible. <br /> Posted by yevaud</DIV></p><p>I agree. There are a lot of benefits that come from setting up shop underground. Even moreso if one has access to an underground aquifer.</p><p>Really, the big hurdle ATM is the actual excavation. A couple TBS's could tunnel out a pretty expansive underground habitat in short order, but how the hack do you get a 500 ton TBM off Earth, to Mars, put it together and power the thing, not to mention house and support a few dozens of people?</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>
 
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yevaud

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I agree. There are a lot of benefits that come from setting up shop underground. Even moreso if one has access to an underground aquifer.Really, the big hurdle ATM is the actual excavation. A couple TBS's could tunnel out a pretty expansive underground habitat in short order, but how the hack do you get a 500 ton TBM off Earth, to Mars, put it together and power the thing, not to mention house and support a few dozens of people?&nbsp; <br /> </p><p>Posted by <em>dragon04</em></DIV></p><p>Well, no successful Mars Colonizer mission could ever work, unless a great deal of material and supplies were sent in advance to await the actual Colonists.&nbsp; A LOT of material and supplies.&nbsp; Such a machine would have to be sent in sections, landed in sections over time, and reassembled later. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>
 
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3488

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'><font color="#ff0000">Well, no successful Mars Colonizer mission could ever work, unless a great deal of material and supplies were sent in advance to await the actual Colonists.&nbsp; A LOT of material and supplies.&nbsp; Such a machine would have to be sent in sections, landed in sections over time, and reassembled later. <br /> Posted by yevaud</font></DIV></p><p><font size="2"><strong>I agree Yevaud completely.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>To start with it would be near on impossible to mine the raw materials, process & smelt them & then manufacture the actual colony building materials from them.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Certainly using TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines) would permit an early start to creating livable space under ground & in mountains, etc, but even they would surely have to be launched & landed in sections then assembled before being put to work.&nbsp;</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Here is one that was used topartially excavate the Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) between Folkestone, United Kingdom (approx 11 miles from where I live) & Sangatte near Calais, France.&nbsp;</strong></font></p><p><strong><font size="2">Imagine launching that & landing it on Mars. Certainly very difficult with currwent means, but in peices onboard smaller spacecraft, would be doable, but very risky.</font></strong>&nbsp;</p><p><font size="4">Chunnel Machine here.&nbsp;</font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>After the commencement of raw materials being mined & smelted, then of course it will get easier & quicker to establish a meaningful long term presence.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Until that point though, I think operations would have to be largely automated & controlled from Earth, with only a small human crew, mostly geologists & engineers.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Andrew Brown.&nbsp;</strong></font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>
 
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JonClarke

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Well, no successful Mars Colonizer mission could ever work, unless a great deal of material and supplies were sent in advance to await the actual Colonists.&nbsp; A LOT of material and supplies.&nbsp; Such a machine would have to be sent in sections, landed in sections over time, and reassembled later. <br />Posted by yevaud</DIV></p><p>Agreed.&nbsp; Plus, I would add:</p><p>A considerable experience base of living and working on Mars from expeditions and research stations.</p><p>Much greater knowledge of resources so make the settlement self supporting in raw materials.</p><p>Some type of export to make the settlement economically viable.</p><p>Jon<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>
 
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Boris_Badenov

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<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Some type of export to make the settlement economically viable.Jon <br />Posted by jonclarke</DIV></p><p><font size="2">That's really the main thing. Any colony can't be self supporting without some kind of an export. The gravity well on Mars is conducive to SSTO. Maybe something can be made using that as a benifit.<br /></font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>
 
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moonchef

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<p>I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the surface of the moon and mars are completely different (not a limb, just unwilling to do the research&nbsp;right now).&nbsp;So im guessing&nbsp;the same tunneling machines may not work on both mars and the moon,&nbsp;but wouldn't the moon be the perfect place to practice sending and assembling things in sections?&nbsp; </p><p>Obviously going back to the moon is a touchy subject these days with the budget and uncertainty of how long the current shuttles will run and when the ares rockets will be available for launch.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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kelvinzero

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<p>Making money from an export from mars just seems too daunting for any nation or company right now.</p><p>However I feel that "Writing off" say&nbsp;1 percent of your yearly taxes to a purpose like this (in addition to rather than in competition with other space&nbsp;goals)&nbsp;could pay for itself even in the short term and keep paying for itself.</p><ul><li>It is about education. Not only a form of higher education but also motivation for the sciences in schools. Just as "any one can grow up to be president" it is&nbsp;a great thing to live in&nbsp;a country where anyone can grow up to be a rocket scientist.</li><li>It is about excellence in management practices. Having bright people is one thing but that does not mean they can put together a project with millions of components that all have to work. There is something very special to learn from a company that can achieve that.</li><li>Spin off technology. There are many of these but my current favorite is..</li><li>...Learning to live on a planet where nothing is free: not the air and certainly not oil. We have to learn how to live in a closed system because, like it or not,&nbsp;that is where we are living.</li><li>...Which to me makes learning to live in space one of the most vital experiments for anyone concerned with&nbsp;polution, recycling,&nbsp;or the middle east or global warming.</li></ul><p>Many of these things are happening anyway with the Space Shuttle etc but most people feel fairly isolated from this and the scientific benefits do not mean much to them. The goal of colonising another world is much clearer. Science will happen along the way.</p>
 
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