New Mars Forums

There are some 600,000 bridges in the USA (at least - the figure relates primarily to road and rail bridges but there must be many more footbridges).  We won’t need a single one on Mars. That underlines the difference in infrastructure needs will be different from those on Earth. 

On Earth a lot of infrastructure expenditure goes into dealing with the fact we are a watery planet. Not only do we build bridges across rivers and sea inlets, we also build massive ports that can take the huge container ships that transport goods around the planet.  We construct huge breakwaters to stop the sea eroding our coasts.

On Earth we also construct vast international airports and because we are such a watery world we are obliged to build very robust metalled roads that won’t get washed away in a rainstorm.

Until terraformation is successfully concluded, Mars won’t require big bridges or ports or airports or even roads.  Perhaps there will be a few viaducts, but no bodies of water need to be bridged. Even after terraformation, the single ocean on Mars - the Northern Ocean - would occupy a small proportion of the globe (compared with 70% on Earth - think Mars's ocean would be more like maybe 15%).

So what sort of infrastructure will Mars require?

As on Earth, human civilisation will be heavily dependent on energy production. It is indeed one of the marks of our modern civilisation on Earth that it can access huge quantities of energy above and beyond that produced by human or animal bodies.  So Mars will require large energy facilities. These are highly likely to be based on photovoltaic energy to begin with. But other forms of power generation could be developed such as nuclear power and heat difference engines (the latter might prove hugely effective on Mars owing to the very large daily swings in temperature).

We will need the equivalent of roads of course.  Most of the northern hemisphere of Mars seems well suited to robust vehicular traffic with no need to create tarmac surfaces (metalled roads). So rather than roads as on Earth, these would be on Mars what I call roadways - cleared paths for vehicular traffic.  Robots would clear all boulders and stones from the roadway and roller robot rovers would render them as flat as possible. Because of the cratered surface, roadways may take rather circuitous routes. That won't be very important for the robot eletric vehicles that travel these roads.  It makes more sense to have focus on connecting places rather than building bridges.
Robots are tireless. They can work 24/7.  Circuitous routes are not a major issue.

The roadways will be used primarily in the early period to transport water ice and a variety of ores from mining areas to the main city.  As more settlements are established away from the main city (at tourist sites, science sites and mining areas) we will see more food, clothes and a host of other items being transported to the settlements. People will travel along these routes but probably not for hundreds of miles (unless they are heading off on an exploratory mission in a large pressurised rover). For very long journeys human will probably travel in rocket hoppers or in Starships.

Roadways will be a wonderful cheap mode of transportation. No need for any expensive infrastructure like tarmac, bridges or signage (any warnings can be communicated directly to robot vehicles or via audio instructions to human passengers). They will have regular solar power battery stations for recharging of batteries and life support posts offering food, water and air. There will be a Roadway Support Unit maintaining these stations and ensuring they are always kept supplied. The Unit will also be responsible for keeping roadways clear of any obstructions inculding sand build-up. Transponders along the roadways will help keep vehicles on path (though the Mars equivalent GPS system will also serve the same purpose).

Earth-based infrastructure requirements for hurricane and earthquake warning/response/design will not be necessary on Mars.

I don't think we would build vast electricity grids on Mars with huge pylons and transmission wires. It won't be necessary. From the get-go, the energy generating facility (primarily PV) will be located close to usage points. PV facilities can be far less robust than on Earth owing to the clement weather conditions. Another big saving.

Water management on Mars will be very different to on Earth. Whether it requires more or less of a resource input is not clear. It may be more resource-intensive than on Earth. Earth's advantage when it comes to water is that there is a lot of free flowing fresh water. On Mars we will be able to get water easily enough from very pure water ice glaciers. It will require some processing (but probably not as much as water drawn from rivers on Earth). Rather than water being used and disposed of via a sewer system I think on Mars there will be an emphasis on water recycling. This may extend even to sewage with any solid residue simply being dumped in a convenient crater some miles from the city. It will be naturally frozen. It's final disposal can be left to future generations if necessary. On Earth water eventually runs into the sea and essentially that's how we deal with sewage...we now spend a lot of money to clean it up and then let the water flow into rivers and thence to the sea. On Mars that's not an option.

The overall modest infrastructure requirement of Mars will mean that living on Mars is significantly less expensive than on Earth in terms of infrastructure. Simple roadways, pure water ice, no bridges, no ports...it's all pretty good news really.

How might Mars look 20 years after the first landing?

Here's a speculative sector analysis of the nascent Mars economy by Year 20:

1. Aerospace   -  Rocket hoppers and orbital rockets are now being produced.  The base will have a dedicated Spaceport.  A range of rocket fuels, such as LOX and methane will be produced.

2. Agriculture -  A full range of food crops will be produced:  salad vegetables, grains, fruit, beans, pulses etc. No animal farming will yet be undertaken (meat is imported).

3. Chemical industry  – The community’s ability to process and manipulate a wide range of materials will be in place. The settlement can produce Mars ISRU feedstock for plastics. Very pure silicon can be produced for electronics, computers and PV panels.

4. Computers -  The settlement is now able to produce basic computers which it is applying to life support systems.

5. Construction -  Using ISRU bricks, basalt, cement, concrete, glass, 3D printing techniques, Mars dust-sourced “rubber”  and steel frames,  the Mars settlement is able to construct its own habs for accommodation, farming and industry.

6. Domestic goods -  The settlement is able to produce refrigerators, freezers, ovens, cookers, hobs, plumbing parts, kitchen utensils, cooking ware, basic furniture,  hygiene products (such as soap and toothpaste).

7. Education and research  -  An Earth-based University has established a Research Centre on Mars which is part of the base and forms an important part of the economy.

8. Electrical -  The settlement is producing a range of chemical batteries, some of which are being used to power the Base Zone rovers and to even out power over a sol.  The settlement is now able to produce cable – plastic covered copper wiring.  Most copper wiring is being produced from recycled materials but some is being sourced from meteorites on the surface of Mars. 

9. Energy  -  Mars now has a well developed energy sector based on PV power systems, solar reflectors,, chemical batteries, differential heat engines and methane/hydrogen production  Virtually all elements of the energy system can now be produced with ISRU on Mars, although PV film is still being imported from Earth.

10. Food processing – Food processing is becoming a more important activity.  Some chilled meals and prepared salads are being produced. Nearly all food processing is automated. Food is refrigerated, turned into powder form, and frozen.

11. Life Support -  Life support (water, air and temperature control) is a key industry that generates income e.g. through sale to Universities, TV companies  and space agencies.

12. Metal industry  -  This is an important sector, producing steel supports for construction, steel tools for farming, steel bars and suspension springs for rovers.  Steel is used to produce gas cylinders and gas tanks. Aluminium is used in construction of airlocks and pressure cabins.

13. Pharmaceuticals -  This industry is at quite a primitive level. The community is only just beginning to produce basic medicines and other health products  such as paracetamol, some vitamins and minerals.

14. Textiles -  Basic clothing – cotton T shirts and trousers - are being produced.  Plans are in place for production of Mars ISRU space suits.

15. Transport  -  Mars is now able to produce its own rovers rather than having to import them.   Small pressurised Rovers are used to transfer from one hab to another with ease (it taking only five minutes to exit through air lock chambers.  The vehicles are kept small in order that airlocks can be on a small scale as well. Longer range rovers use methane and oxygen as their power systems.

16. Water -  Water is mined at large glaciers or ice deposits and transported in robot rovers to the Base where it is stored in shaded and regolith covered storage pits. Water recycling is a feature of nearly all processes.