New Mars Forums

More place holders to build

ESCAPADE launched on the Blue Origin New Glenn-2 vehicle on Nov 13, 2025.

More place holders to build

Space for patients and staff to make use of carves out square meters for each item and needs specific lighting, Specific OR areas super clean.
Medication security and more to aid in keep crew safe and alive while on mars.

Integrated Surface Power Strategy for Mars

NASA's power standards for crewed Mars missions vary significantly by mission phase and scale, ranging from a minimum of ~10 kilowatts (kW) for short surface stays with two crew members to potentially megawatt (MW)-class systems for larger, longer missions with in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) like propellant production, with nuclear power often favored for its reliability, though early missions might use solar/battery systems, with total requirements approaching 160 kWe for some concepts.

Key Power Requirements & Considerations:
Minimum Surface Power: Around 10 kW is considered the baseline for even short (30-day) missions with two crew, covering habitat, life support (ECLSS), and some science/exploration.
ISRU & Larger Crews: Missions involving propellant manufacturing (ISRU) and larger crews (e.g., six people) can push power needs to 40-160 kW or more for activities like producing oxygen and fuel.
Transit/Propulsion: Missions using nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) could require very high power, with some concepts needing 1.9 MWe (megawatts electric) for the journey itself.
Reliability & Redundancy: Critical safety systems demand high availability, often necessitating redundant power sources, like multiple nuclear reactors or large battery/fuel cell backup.

Power Technologies Considered:
Nuclear Fission Systems: Fission power (like Kilopower) is a strong candidate for its mass efficiency and continuous power, providing both electricity and heat, crucial for ISRU and reliability.
Solar Arrays: Roll-out or advanced photovoltaic blankets are an option, but limited by dust, available area, and nighttime needs, requiring significant energy storage.
Energy Storage: Advanced batteries (lithium-ion) and regenerative fuel cells are vital for bridging gaps in solar power or providing backup.

Example Mission Architectures:
Early Missions (2010s Studies): Concepts used two 40 kWe fission systems for 500-day stays, with one primary unit for ISRU and a backup near the habitat.
DRA 5.0 (Design Reference Architecture): Explored options requiring significant power for habitat, science, and ISRU, with pre-deployed cargo landers.

In essence, NASA's power strategy balances mission goals (science, ISRU, crew size) with technology capabilities, leaning heavily towards reliable nuclear systems for higher power needs while integrating robust energy storage for all scenarios

In-situ (on-site) Martian rocket fuels primarily focus on producing methane (\(CH_{4}\)) and liquid oxygen (\(LOX\)), using the abundant atmospheric carbon dioxide (\(CO_{2}\)) and water ice (\(H_{2}O\)) through processes like the Sabatier reaction and electrolysis, significantly reducing launch mass from Earth. Alternative approaches involve biotechnology to create fuels from Martian resources or using carbon monoxide (\(CO\)) and oxygen (\(O_{2}\)) as propellants, leveraging Mars's unique environmental conditions to enable sustainable Mars missions and colonization. 

Primary Method: Sabatier Reaction & Electrolysis 
Gather Resources: Collect Martian atmospheric \(CO_{2}\) and extract water (\(H_{2}O\)) from subsurface ice/regolith.
Electrolysis: Split water into hydrogen (\(H_{2}\)) and oxygen (\(O_{2}\)).
Sabatier Reaction: React \(CO_{2}\) with the produced \(H_{2}\) to create methane (\(CH_{4}\)) and water.
Oxidizer: The \(O_{2}\) from electrolysis serves as the oxidizer.
Result: This process yields both fuel (methane) and oxidizer (liquid oxygen) on Mars. Key Benefits Cost Reduction: Eliminates the need to transport massive amounts of propellant from Earth.
Mass Leverage: A small amount of imported hydrogen can generate significantly more fuel on Mars.
Resource Utilization: Utilizes abundant Martian resources (\(CO_{2}\), \(H_{2}O\)). 
Alternative & Advanced Concepts Biotechnology (Bio-ISRU): Using engineered microbes (like cyanobacteria and E. coli) to convert \(CO_{2}\) into complex hydrocarbons (rocket fuel) and generating excess oxygen, taking advantage of Mars's lower gravity for less energy-intensive liftoffs.
Carbon Monoxide/Oxygen (CO/O2): A propellant combination derived from \(CO_{2}\), potentially offering higher specific impulse, though it still requires a hydrogen source.
Solid Propellants: Research explores creating solid fuels (like aluminum/magnesium-based) from Martian regolith, though less developed. Challenges Power & Infrastructure: Requires significant power for processing and liquefaction.
Efficiency & Reliability: Developing robust, long-term systems for the harsh Martian environment

3D printing of dome-shaped habitats on Mars using basalt-based materials is a leading area of research for in-situ construction. This approach leverages the abundant basaltic rock and regolith found on the Martian surface to create a structurally sound, radiation-shielding building material, eliminating the need to transport heavy materials from Earth.
Construction Techniques
The primary method involves additive manufacturing (3D printing) using robotic systems deployed autonomously before human arrival.
Material Acquisition and Processing: Robots collect basalt rocks and regolith (crushed rock and dust) and process them into a usable feedstock. One method involves melting the basalt in a furnace and pulling it into fibers, which are then combined with a binder.
Binding Agents: To create a cohesive, printable "ink," the basalt material is often mixed with a binder. In various NASA challenges, teams have experimented with:
Polymer composites: Combining basalt fibers with polylactic acid (PLA) or other recyclable plastics, which can potentially be synthesized from plants grown on Mars.
Geopolymers/Cements: Using fast-setting metakaolin geopolymer cement formulations.
Printing Process: The material is extruded layer by layer by a gantry-style or robotic arm printer, building the habitat from the ground up. The dome shape itself is a functional design choice, as the curved walls help to withstand the significant pressure difference between the internal human-habitable atmosphere and the near-vacuum Martian environment.
Advantages of Basalt for Mars Habitats
Radiation Shielding: Cooled basalt has a high density, which provides superior protection from electromagnetic space radiation and micrometeorites compared to more porous materials.
Structural Integrity: Basalt fiber-reinforced composites can be several times stronger than traditional concrete, providing robust structural elements.
Thermal Regulation: The material has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, advantageous for the extreme temperature swings on Mars.
Airtight Seal: Basalt's low permeability makes it suitable for forming the necessary hermetic seal to maintain a pressurized, life-supporting internal atmosphere.
Current Status and Research
Research has largely been driven by competitions like the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. While material processing and 3D printing techniques have been successfully demonstrated using Martian regolith simulants on Earth, the practical challenge of establishing the energy-intensive processing equipment (like high-temperature furnaces) on Mars remains a significant engineering hurdle.

For building arch shapes, you can use either tapered/wedge-shaped bricks or standard rectangular bricks. Tapered bricks are specially designed for arches to create uniform mortar joints, while rectangular bricks can be used for a flatter arch, sometimes called a soldier arch. Special shapes like double-tapered arch bricks or bricks with a specific angle (like a 70° skew-back angle for flat arches) are also available for curved elements.

Types of bricks for arches
Tapered or wedge-shaped bricks:
These are the most common for rounded arches. They are tapered to ensure that the mortar joints are of a consistent thickness throughout the depth of the arch.

Double-tapered arch bricks: These are double-tapered in either width or length to form curved features, like an archway or a circular window.

Rectangular bricks (cut or full-size):
Soldier arches:
These are created by placing standard rectangular bricks on their ends, with their long sides set vertically. This type is more of a flat arch and requires support like a lintel or frame.

Flat arches:
Flat arches are often constructed with standard rectangular bricks that are the same size and have parallel sides, sometimes with a specific skew-back angle.

Specialty and pre-fabricated arches: Modern technology allows for pre-fabricated brick arches built to specific dimensions and designs, which can be a cost-effective solution.
Key considerations for size and shape

Uniformity:
The key for most arches is achieving uniform mortar joints for structural integrity. Tapered bricks achieve this, while flat arches often use standard rectangular pieces with a consistent, small mortar joint.

Angle:
For flat arches, a 70° skew-back angle is common for the voussoirs (the wedge-shaped stones used to build the arch).
Customization:

If your design requires specific angles, curves, or a certain rise, you may need to specify custom dimensions or use pre-fabricated arches

A Mars open-pit mining operation, even one of 200m diameter, would rely on modified versions of terrestrial open-pit equipment, adapted for the Martian environment (low gravity, extreme cold, dust, and lack of atmosphere). The primary functions—excavation, loading, hauling, and processing—remain the same.
Key Equipment Categories & Adaptations
Excavation and Loading Equipment:
Large Hydraulic Excavators/Rope Shovels: These would be the primary tools for digging and loading broken material into haul trucks.
Bucket-Wheel Excavators (BWEs): For large, continuous digging operations, BWEs are efficient for continuously moving large volumes of material.
Bulldozers & Wheel Loaders: Used for site preparation, clearing overburden (regolith), and maintaining the working area.
Adaptation Insight: Lower gravity on Mars (38% of Earth's) means reduced ground pressure for digging, so equipment may need modifications (e.g., dual-barrel digging wheels for traction, as explored by NASA for lunar robots).
Haulage and Transportation:
Large Mining Trucks: Essential for transporting large quantities of ore and waste rock from the pit to processing plants or waste dumps.
Conveyor Systems: May be used for more efficient, continuous transport over specific, long distances, potentially integrated with BWEs.
Adaptation Insight: Tires and hydraulic seals must be made of materials that can withstand the extreme cold, as many Earth-based materials become brittle. Haul road maintenance using graders and dozers is critical for efficiency.
Drilling and Blasting (Optional but likely):
Large-Diameter Rotary/Percussion Drill Rigs: Used to drill blast holes for breaking up hard rock formations that excavators cannot manage alone.
Explosive Delivery Systems: While potentially complex due to the need to manufacture explosives (like AN/FO) on-site or transport them from Earth, blasting is a highly efficient way to fragment large amounts of rock.
Processing Equipment:
Primary Crushers: Large gyratory or jaw crushers would be needed to break down raw material to a manageable size before further processing.
Analytical Instruments: Tools like the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) used on Mars rovers, spectrometers, and real-time analyzers would be necessary for on-site geological analysis and quality control of the extracted material.
Adaptation Insight: Processing plants would need to be enclosed and possibly heated to function effectively in the harsh environment.
Supporting Infrastructure & Automation:
Power Systems: Large operations require significant power, likely from advanced nuclear, solar, or a combination of sources.
Automated/Remotely Controlled Systems: Due to the hostile environment, a high degree of automation, robotics, and remote operation would be essential to ensure continuous operation and human safety.
Life Support Systems: Pressurized operator cabins (if human-crewed) or remote operation centers would be required.
The specific type of equipment would ultimately depend on the target resource (e.g., water ice, iron-bearing minerals) and the specific geological properties of the Martian site

To move 10 cubic meters of Mars regolith, you would need a tandem axle dump truck or a medium-to-large single-axle dump truck. A standard commercial tandem axle dump truck typically holds between 7.6 to 10.7 cubic meters (10 to 14 cubic yards) of material, making it a suitable option for exactly 10 cubic meters.

Dump Truck Options for 10 Cubic Meters
Medium Dump Truck (Single Axle):
These can hold a load volume of 3 to 6 cubic meters, so you would likely need two trips, or a very large single-axle model near its upper limit.

Tandem Axle Dump Truck:
This is the most efficient option, as its typical capacity of 7.6 to 10.7 cubic meters can handle the entire volume in a single load. Some models can even handle up to 13 to 20 cubic meters.
Large Dump Truck (Tri-Axle/Super Dump): These trucks have capacities ranging from 13 to over 25 cubic meters, which would easily manage the load, though the truck might not be operating at full volumetric capacity.
Important Considerations

Weight vs. Volume:
The weight of the regolith (Martian soil) is a critical factor, even more so than volume. The density of material matters in determining the actual safe load capacity to avoid overloading the truck's weight limits.

Martian Gravity:
The user's prompt specifies "Mars regolith," which implies an off-world scenario. The lower gravity on Mars (roughly 38% of Earth's gravity) would significantly alter the weight constraints and potentially allow a standard Earth-rated dump truck to carry a larger mass of material than it could on Earth, assuming the engineering for the martian environment is addressed.

Equipment Specialization:
For actual off-world operations, the equipment would be specifically designed for the Martian environment, likely featuring wider cutting heads or different axle configurations to handle the unique terrain and gravity conditions.

Scientists and engineers have proposed several methods and "equipment" concepts for making bricks on Mars using local resources (in-situ resource utilization), primarily Martian regolith (soil). A key discovery is that simple compression, without binders or heat, can create bricks stronger than steel-reinforced concrete.

Proposed Equipment and Methods
Since transporting all construction materials from Earth would be prohibitively expensive, research focuses on using the iron oxide-rich Martian soil itself.
High-Pressure Mechanical Press/Hammer:
The most promising method uses sheer pressure. Researchers at UC San Diego accidentally discovered that by enclosing Mars simulant in a flexible container (like a rubber tube) and applying high pressure, they could form solid, strong pellets which can be cut into brick shapes. The necessary "equipment" could be a robotic, high-pressure compacting device or even a simple hammering mechanism operated by future astronauts.

3D Printing Systems:
This is a major focus of ongoing research.
Regolith melting: One idea involves melting the regolith with lasers or focused solar energy and pouring it into molds, though this requires significant energy.
Binder extrusion:
Regolith could be mixed with a binder (polymer or even human-derived materials like blood plasma protein or urea) and extruded through a 3D printer to build structures autonomously.

Kilns/Furnaces:
Early proposals suggested using a nuclear-powered or solar furnace to bake the bricks, similar to ancient Earth methods. This method would require a significant power source and complex equipment to capture any released water for reuse.

The equipment needed to create hot sulfur regolith bricks for Martian in-situ buildings involves machinery for excavation, processing, mixing, heating, and molding the materials. A 1200°C kiln is used for sintering processes with other potential binders, but for sulfur concrete, the required temperature is much lower (around 120°C to melt the sulfur).

Materials Acquisition & Processing
Excavation and Sifting Equipment:
Robotic excavators or rovers with digging mechanisms to collect the Martian regolith. Sifting or refining machinery may be needed to achieve the optimal particle size distribution for the aggregate.
Sulfur Extraction and Refining Unit:
A chemical processing plant to extract elemental sulfur from Martian sources (sulfides/sulfates), likely involving high-temperature oxidation and reduction processes.
Storage Tanks/Hoppers:
Secure storage for both the raw regolith powder and the extracted, refined sulfur (solid and liquid).

Brick Production & Molding
Heated Mixer (e.g., Pugmill or Drum Mixer): An industrial mixer capable of hot-mixing the dry regolith aggregate with molten sulfur (liquid at ~120°C). The mixer must have robust seals to handle the abrasive dust and potentially a controlled atmosphere (CO₂-rich).

Heating System/Kiln:
While a 1200°C kiln is used for other methods like sintering, sulfur bricks only need a melting temperature of around 120°C. This heating could be powered by a solar furnace or a nuclear reactor's waste heat. The system needs precise temperature control to prevent boiling and ensure uniform heating.

Molding/Casting System:
Molds (potentially made from 3D printed durable thermoplastics like PEEK or metal) or a robotic extrusion system (like a 3D printer) to form the liquid mixture into desired brick shapes.
Curing Area:
A controlled environment where the bricks can cool and solidify (harden through physical crystallization, not hydration).
Power Supply:
A robust, reliable power source (e.g., solar panels with battery storage or a fission reactor) capable of powering all machinery autonomously.

Ancillary and Support Equipment
Autonomous Robotic Systems:
The entire process is envisioned to be highly automated due to limited human labor on Mars.
Dust Mitigation Systems:
Given the pervasive, fine nature of regolith dust, equipment must incorporate advanced seals and filtration to prevent damage and contamination.
Quality Control and Testing Apparatus:
Equipment to test the compressive and flexural strength of the final bricks to ensure they meet structural requirements.
Thermal Management Systems:
Equipment to manage the significant temperature variations and maintain consistent operating temperatures

Biomaterial Production Systems: Emerging research involves using synthetic biology, like engineered lichens or bacteria, to create a self-growing, concrete-like material from the Martian soil. This would require specialized bioreactor equipment and the necessary organic inputs.

Key Advantage
The simple, no-bake, no-binder method using a mechanical press is a leading candidate because it requires the least amount of complex machinery, energy, and additional materials transported from Earth, making it highly practical for initial manned missions

While no operational 3 m diameter TBM specifically for Mars currently exists, the development of such equipment is a key concept in proposed strategies for establishing a Martian colony.

Current Status of Mars Tunneling Equipment
Conceptual Stage:
Current discussions revolve around the concept of using tunneling technology for Mars habitats, providing protection from cosmic radiation and micrometeorites, and leveraging the thermal stability of the subsurface.
Earth-based Prototypes:
Companies like The Boring Company (TBC) are developing advanced, all-electric Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) for Earth-based projects (e.g., the Prufrock series, which creates a tunnel approximately 3.7m/12ft in diameter).

Technology Transfer:

While TBC's current machines are unlikely to be deployed on Mars without significant modification, the technology and engineering experience gained (such as automation and faster boring speeds) are seen as foundational for developing future off-world systems.

Prototype Drills:
Research has been conducted on smaller-scale "3-meter-class Mars drill prototypes" for scientific exploration of the shallow subsurface, but these are for drilling, not large-scale tunneling for habitats.
Transportability:
A 3m-class TBM (or its segments) is considered potentially transportable by a SpaceX Starship, which has an 8m diameter cargo bay.

Key Challenges for Martian TBMs
Atmosphere:
Earth TBMs use significant amounts of water for cooling and other operations, which would be a major challenge in Mars's cold, near-vacuum atmosphere.

Automation:
Due to communication delays and the need for efficient pre-human construction, Martian equipment would require a high degree of automation and robotic operation.

Geology & Materials:
The machines would need to be adapted to Mars's unique rock and soil conditions. Also, instead of concrete segments (which are heavy to transport), innovative methods like sintering the excavated rock or using local materials for tunnel lining would be necessary.

In short, 3 m diameter equipment for Mars is an active area of conceptual development and technological aspiration, leveraging Earth-based innovations, but is not yet a developed or deployed product.

That's good as I recall the first crystal formation failed to get purity due to the vibrations within the ship.

I found images of the building of the super dome

Scalable structure that could be made from the cannibalized starships, cut and bend to shape.

Denial of service?