Scientists develop plan to colonize Mars

The idea of ​​building a base for colonizing Mars and becoming an interplanetary species has had decades of debate and not much action, but at least there is now a plan.

On September 10, researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), a Swiss university and research center, developed a step-by-step guide for the creation of a sustainable research center on Mars. Their specific plan describes how we would get there, build a camp and create an environment that would be livable in the long run. By adopting this strategy, researchers could finally start planning the long-awaited journey of humanity on the red planet.

But as with any major project, it will take years to materialize, so developing a strategy now could pave the way for its completion in the coming decades.

Location, location, location

The first step in building a colony, of course, is to determine the best chances of survival. For Mars, the researchers looked at the poles of the planet, which contain ice deposits that have accumulated over thousands of years. These deposits are thought to contain large amounts of water ice that could be extracted and transformed into liquid water.

The poles also house other natural resources, such as carbon dioxide, iron, aluminum, silicon and sulfur, which could be used to make objects such as glass, brick and stone. plastic. And with a little work, they could even use hydrogen and methanol on the planet to create fuel.

However, neither the resources nor the living environment will be available immediately. Instead of sending wildly humans during the first mission, the researchers suggest sending a fleet of robots to begin construction of the facility.

Mars Camp Base Building

The base they designed consists of three units: a central core, three surrounding capsules and a massive arched dome. The central core would extend 12.5 meters (41 feet) high and 5 meters (16 feet) in diameter and serve as a small enough housing for the crew.

The three capsules surrounding the central nucleus would function as airlock – passages that connect the core and the Martian surface and minimize changes in atmospheric pressure between the two. Finally, a huge dome of polyethylene fiber, topped with 5 meters of ice, encapsulate the entire base. In addition to providing the crew with additional legroom, the dome would serve as a giant shield and help regulate air pressure further.

Endless Martian Summer

Once the robots have traveled the site and created a safe place for humans, a team of six would begin their journey to the red planet. This would ideally take place during the polar summer, when the crew could absorb 288 consecutive days of Martian sun. They would obviously need to pack a lot of essentials to get them through the summer, such as non-perishable foods, batteries and reactors that can turn the natural elements of Mars, like thorium, into energy.

After living at the base for about nine months, the crew was returning home – marking the first crewed return trip to Mars.