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The use of caves as shelter both natural and man made - also machine (robotic ) possiblely pre-made.
Rad. protection, growing and storage.
Ease of construction, ability to trap breathable air, added room as needed,
low cost and light equipment.
Last edited by Cy M (2016-01-24 12:52:35)
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Natural caves are probably easier to build large enclosures in than the open surface, but I don't think they have very much strength so it's not as easy to build inside a natural cave as simply pressurizing it to your desired atmospheric pressure.
-Josh
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From a study published in the Journal Science
Radiation exposure on the surface is 30 µSv per hour during solar minimum; during solar maximum, dosage equivalent of this exposure is reduced by the factor two (2). If the settlers spend on average three hours every three days outside the habitat, their individual exposure adds up to 11 mSv per year. The Mars One habitat will be covered by several meters of soil, which provides reliable shielding even against galactic cosmic rays. Five meters of soil will provide the same protection as the Earth's atmosphere-- equivalent to 1,000 g/cm2 of shielding. With the help of a forecasting system, taking shelter in the habitat can prevent radiation exposure from SPEs. - See more at: http://www.mars-one.com/faq/health-and- … q7g3X.dpuf
Thinking on this the use of the caves would shield equipment and personnel while expanding room needed to grow plants giving a trapped air system. A side benefit is the search for life as these would be the most likely
places to find either alive or dead. Water is also much more likely to be found. Factory's as on Earth could pump easily what on Earth would be pollution but on Mars be beneficial green house gases.
The shelter need not be sent from Earth saving weight. Even putting a gas expandable building inside a cave would lessen the amount of work needed to cover a shelter with a min of 5 FT. of dirt. ( lol thats a lot of work)
I live in a underground home that was part cave before I expanded, 7 people 5 bed rooms 5 bath, very lg kit. and 4 other rooms that change as needed, my cost was less than a 2 bed room home.
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The cave will need to be into hard rock and not a porrous one like what we see out in so many of the rover images.
Sending robotic equipment is only part of the issue as once you start into the digging and are beyond radio or other tele robotic means then it would need to be driven by some sort of AI computer programming. Then there is the power source to make the machine run challemge as mass to the surface for such equipment might be an issue and the changing of the tool that is use to make the cave on the digging unit as well will be problematic.
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Your first statement "The cave will need to be into hard rock and not a porous one like what we see out in so many of the rover images." is in error No studies have been done on Mars caves as are needed), also on Earth the reason porous caves are more dangerous is (rain )-WATER causing cracks, leaks, flooding as this is not the case on Mars a porous cave will be more safe than a hard rock cave because it breathes releasing H2O as it warms.
Heat and moisture in small amounts over time the stone will strengthen as the sandstone caves in AZ USA. Native Indians place wet grasses, mud and dung on the walls, these have lasted hundreds of years.
We need to use all resources that we bring and already have there, our waste on Mars is a resource, everything must be used composted and reused.
I believe the biggest hazard will be sand not the lack of atmosphere or radiation, Mars has extreme sandstorms and what happens to anything sitting out in the open during this event, it gets beaten to nothing.
Cy rambles here:
Mars needs humans of diversity, out of the box thinkers who are wanting to be sent to STAY, send us, use us for the next generation of humanity. You know why? Then MORE will come no matter what, just to be there, to
look over the next ridge that no one has seen before, The challenge is life.
Last edited by Cy M (2016-01-27 20:59:20)
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I'm all about the cave or lava tube usage idea.
I see where the maps of the lava tubes cite collapse points, so reinforcement is probably prudent. I've been obsessed with this idea of using the lava tube as an exo-structure and the assembling an interior structure of a somewhat smaller scale that is pressurized and then fill the void between the two structures with a reinforcement matrix and an aerated concrete.
I read an article online about an experiment to produce concrete from CO2.
http://phys.org/news/2016-03-carbon-dio … .html#nRlv
Soil providing protection of sandstorms, radiation, etc... all great. I am relatively new to all of this. Has there been any data on the average temp of Mars sub-surface? Like the earth homes maintain a 70 degree temp easily by raising the earths 50 avg temp (below the frost line from what I gather).
And if there are lava tubes, what is the prognosis on using thermal energy sources?
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Lava tubes: Nature’s shelters for cosmic colonization
https://www.astronomy.com/space-explora … onization/
vid of 'ReachBot'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9xuWI6_q_U
A robot with expandable appendages could explore Martian caves and cliffs
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-robot-app … caves.html
The concept, known as ReachBot, is a robot that can support itself using multiple articulated appendages to navigate terrain that would be difficult to reach using other navigational techniques. In addition to being able to traverse complex ground patterns, it could also, in theory, at least scale sheer cliff faces.
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