A City Rises on the Plain...

louis · 2018-11-18 18:44:49

Here is a timeline for the development of Mars's first and foremost city...Sagan City.

Plot0000 Proposed master plan

2024 -

Humans have set foot on Mars for the first time. In a coup of dramatic proportions Elon Musk and his company Space X take everyone by surprise in actually seeing through on their plan of getting humans to Mars by 2024. Since the mission was declared "go" in 2023 there has been a huge media storm of interest in the Mission.

Another surpise for people back on Earth is that two days before the crew land on Mars, Musk announces that the settlement on Mars will be named "Sagan City" in honour of Carl Sagan, who first set out a detailed proposal for the terraformation of Mars into an Earth-like environment.

Within just three weeks of landing, Sagan City is taking shape already. Not so much a city - still more a hamlet...but the seeds are there.

Plot0003 is a Toehold settlement start location

In twilight it is quite a dramatic scene...the six BFSs dotted around the settlement are the tallest structures on view. And mightily impressive they are as they rise so very high from the plain. The lighting around the settlement (powered by the large photovoltaic field spreading for nearly 200 metres away from the settlement's centre) spreads a ghostly glow over the BFS rocket ships as the sun goes down and sol becomes solnight.

Spreading out from the six rockets we see tyre tracks lead to smaller structures:

There is the main hab where most of the pioneers (as the crew are now referred to following landing) will be found. Nearby is the transport hab where the rovers are housed. Further away (for safety reasons) is the industrial and science hab (ISH). Then there is the interesting profile of the propellant plant located not too far from the BFS that will return the 10 pioneers to Earth after a brief handover to the next set of pioneers.

Not far from the settlement we can see a group of robotic mini-rovers engaged in water mining. They work throughout the sol without respite gathering water bearing regolith and extracting the valuable water.

How will the settlement look in two years?

[To be continued]

Last edited by louis (2018-11-23 15:17:32)

louis · 2018-11-19 18:21:47

2026

The population of Sagan City remains at 10. The City looks much as it did before, except that now there are 11 BFS Starships dotted around the settlement.

This is a period of consolidation. But plans are being laid for huge growth of the city.

The signs are there already.

Four new habs have appeared:

1. The HIALAC - the Hab for the Indoor Artificially Lit Agricultural Centre. This will be able to produce 80% of the food required by a community of 50 people.

2. An enlarged Industrial Hab unit.

3. A Materials Processing Unit.

4. A Construction Technology and Resources Unit.

Last edited by louis (2018-11-28 08:21:49)

elderflower · 2018-11-20 02:54:57

You would do better with an odd number so that the commander has the casting vote in discussions. An even number can result in severe splits in a small group.

Terraformer · 2018-11-20 03:53:25

Why would the commander need a casting vote? I know pirates had some kind of democracy in electing their officers, but they still had to obey the Captain.

louis · 2018-11-20 07:46:40

You can have an even vote even with an odd number in any case if you have an odd number of abstentions. And there will always be people who abstain when it comes to contentious issues - or refuse to vote because they say the proposal is wrongly worded.

Terraformer wrote:

Why would the commander need a casting vote? I know pirates had some kind of democracy in electing their officers, but they still had to obey the Captain.

Last edited by louis (2018-11-20 07:47:47)

tahanson43206 · 2018-11-20 08:35:52

Louis, your initiative to create "Sagan City" leads me to inquire if you are willing to serve as Mayor of a virtual city here?

A group of human beings are going to have to work out interpersonal relationships while at the same time living within the constraints imposed by Nature, whether they are living on Earth, on Mars, or in a virtual community designed to simulate Nature.

The recent discussion about voting shows the potential for the undertaking.

I am in favor of establishing a planetary defense committee from the outset, as just one example of what might be done.

(th)

louis wrote:

You can have an even vote even with an odd number in any case if you have an odd number of abstentions. And there will always be people who abstain when it comes to contentious issues - or refuse to vote because they say the proposal is wrongly worded.

louis · 2018-11-20 17:27:44

I am not sure I want to be Mayor in a virtual game! lol

But feel to use anything I say here without any copyright worries. Anything I say here is free to use.

I think what you say is very wise. There are constraints. Some people here talk as if wagons are rolling across the plains...clearly that is not the case on Mars. The reality is that humans on Mars at least for the first few decades will be in an environment more like an airplane cabin or an airport - ie highly policed, with a huge number of petty rules. That is the reality for the first few years. If people want more liberty they will need to learn how to survive on Mars without the intervention of big companies like Space X or Government agencies like NASA.

I agree a planetary defence committee should be a top priority. I would like to see Mars follow Musk's advice. Musk has advised as strongly as he can that AI poses a potentially deadly threat against humans but no one on Planet Earth wants to listen.

People on Mars under Musk's influence, may understand the threat better than people on Earth. If they do understand the threat they will immediately organise a Planetary Defence Committee to guard against AI invasion, which is a much greater threat than anything else.

tahanson43206 wrote:

Louis, your initiative to create "Sagan City" leads me to inquire if you are willing to serve as Mayor of a virtual city here?
A group of human beings are going to have to work out interpersonal relationships while at the same time living within the constraints imposed by Nature, whether they are living on Earth, on Mars, or in a virtual community designed to simulate Nature.
The recent discussion about voting shows the potential for the undertaking.
I am in favor of establishing a planetary defense committee from the outset, as just one example of what might be done.
(th)
louis wrote:
You can have an even vote even with an odd number in any case if you have an odd number of abstentions. And there will always be people who abstain when it comes to contentious issues - or refuse to vote because they say the proposal is wrongly worded.

Last edited by louis (2018-11-20 17:29:22)

tahanson43206 · 2018-11-21 11:08:32

For Louis, #7 above:

Louis, your response regarding the Mayor title is encouraging, on several levels.

Would you agree that you deserve the title of "Founder" of Sagan City on NewMars Forum?

Some options become available if you decide to move in that direction.

A city is a social construct. The location and the hardware involved, and even the ongoing activities are NOT in themselves a "city".

By observation, I note that real estate plans start with a vision, are supplemented with architectural plans, and are fulfilled when buyers commit to funding portions of the plan.

A city planned on Earth, for implementation anywhere, starts with a vision.

In the present case, Sagan City would be planned on Earth for implementation on Mars.

(th)

louis · 2018-11-21 16:30:34

I am happy to beat Musk to the title of founder of Sagan City! lol

Yes, I think work on a flexible plan for the main settlement - or Sagan City - should start now. It doesn't need to be a ground plan as such - more a conceptual plan, or a "possibilities plan".

This is a useful link for thinking about a city on Mars:

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015 … -diy-guide

tahanson43206 wrote:

For Louis, #7 above:
Louis, your response regarding the Mayor title is encouraging, on several levels.
Would you agree that you deserve the title of "Founder" of Sagan City on NewMars Forum?
Some options become available if you decide to move in that direction.
A city is a social construct. The location and the hardware involved, and even the ongoing activities are NOT in themselves a "city".
By observation, I note that real estate plans start with a vision, are supplemented with architectural plans, and are fulfilled when buyers commit to funding portions of the plan.
A city planned on Earth, for implementation anywhere, starts with a vision.
In the present case, Sagan City would be planned on Earth for implementation on Mars.
(th)

louis · 2018-11-21 18:05:10

2028

Sagan City's development is accelerating.

The population has quintupled to 50, thanks to the previous infrastructure development. Overall energy generation now stands at an average 4MWs. Seen from the air the shiny PV fields dominate the landscape.

20% of food is still being imported from Earth but the agricultural habs are now producing a range of foods including beans, grains, and fruits, not just salad vegetables, enough to fulfil 80% of the community's requirements.

The most impressive new structure is the Science Research Centre . This is a partly cut-and-cover structure but with a 20 metre diameter dome at its centre. Its construction has been funded by a combination of NASA, ESA, JAXA, ISA and several US universities.

The industrial hab has been expanded yet again. It is now covering a range of industrial processes including steel production, plastics manufacture, brick manufacture, and so on.

The Materials Processing Unit is now covering a range of processes including basalt processing (including sawing into silica purification

Other new habs include:

1. The Waste Processing Centre. This should be able to cope with a population of 500. It will include a robotic recyling centre, a sewage treatment facility (feeding into a fertiliser plant) and a waste packaging centre, where waste that cannot be recycled or reused will be packaged for transported to designated waste location sites.

2. The Media and Communications Centre Hab (MCCH). This houses incoming documentary crews from Earth. Already media organisations have booked 20 places in the next flight window. It is also the base for the Mars Consortium's TV station that is watched in its live and recorded forms by an average 30 million people back on Earth every week. The Mars Consortium are in negotiation with Sony Pictures to produce the first feature film shot on Mars as part of a $100million deal. The MCCH will expand to take that on board. The MCCH is also now in control of direct communications with Earth and communication with orbiting satellitges.

3. The Exploration Hab (EH), located next to the Rocket Hopper Base (RHB). The EH houses now 10 larger pressurised rovers that can house between 3 and 5 people at a time. These rovers are moving out from Sagan City exploring the surrounding area in detail and laying down supply depots (with PV power centres for replenishing batteries). The RHB provides a new method of exploration. The robotic Rocket Hopper (there are actually 3 in total) can use methane rocket power to travel to more distant locations and undertake scouting.

They have an onboard methane and oxygen production plant (drawing on atmospheric contents). After 3 -6 months they can fly to a new location. They have on board mini rovers that can undertake analysis of the surrounding regolith.

Mars is also becoming more human friendly. There are now many sculptures around Sagan City. Some of them are valued at $100 milliion plus having been created by leading artists from Earth (either imported from Earth or created on Mars according to the artists' instructions). There is also a new Sports and Gym Centre on Mars where people can work out or play basketball. There are regular Tensol basketball matches between the two teams on Mars - the Mars Stars and the Aresians (Note - Tensol = 10 sols which has become a kind of Earth-like week on Mars)

Last edited by louis (2018-11-21 18:06:24)

tahanson43206 · 2018-11-22 07:51:24

Louis, thanks for the link to the Guardian's compilation of planned cities. I regret that some of the plans did not come to pass, most especially Buckminster Fuller's floating structure in Japan. That idea seems appropriate for the Water World we humans are creating for ourselves. I note that many of the plans depended upon a single sponsor with deep pockets, although some are government projects. In the case of dictators it's difficult to separate the two.

My reading of your concept for Sagan City is a bit more hasty than I would like, so I may have missed your development of the funding source. It will be interesting to compare your concept to the steps outlined in the Guardian piece.

Edit: Location, Location, Location ... the mantra of the Real Estate community .... where do you think a city dedicated to the memory of Carl Sagan would be located?

(th)

louis wrote:

I am happy to beat Musk to the title of founder of Sagan City! lol
Yes, I think work on a flexible plan for the main settlement - or Sagan City - should start now. It doesn't need to be a ground plan as such - more a conceptual plan, or a "possibilities plan".
This is a useful link for thinking about a city on Mars:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015 … -diy-guide

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2018-11-22 08:26:00)

louis · 2018-11-22 19:10:10

In this case we have a a single sponsor with VERY deep pockets. The recent Tesla share price rise just made Musk $1.4 billion richer!

But more to the point if you have a billion dollars to start with you can raise $10 billion in loans if you have a good business plan.

Personally I think it is absurd beyond absurd to think that the Mars project could "fail".

As soon as you get there you are gifted as much land as there is on Earth, plus you get trillions of tonnes of regolith (including precious stuff), trillions of tonnes of atmospheric gases and trillions of tonnes of water to use as you see fit.

You'd have to be a complete dolt not to be able to create a viable community out of all that.

I see billions rolling in from the day of the landing and before:

Commerical sponsorship (probably running into 100s of sponsors).

- TV rights.

- Book publications.

- Regolith and meteorite sales.

- Hosting scientific experiments.

- Interactive games etc - Mars-Earth.

- Art installations.

Those are just a few examples of revenue generation but they already amount to billions.

tahanson43206 wrote:

Louis, thanks for the link to the Guardian's compilation of planned cities. I regret that some of the plans did not come to pass, most especially Buckminster Fuller's floating structure in Japan. That idea seems appropriate for the Water World we humans are creating for ourselves. I note that many of the plans depended upon a single sponsor with deep pockets, although some are government projects. In the case of dictators it's difficult to separate the two.
My reading of your concept for Sagan City is a bit more hasty than I would like, so I may have missed your development of the funding source. It will be interesting to compare your concept to the steps outlined in the Guardian piece.
Edit: Location, Location, Location ... the mantra of the Real Estate community .... where do you think a city dedicated to the memory of Carl Sagan would be located?
(th)
louis wrote:
I am happy to beat Musk to the title of founder of Sagan City! lol
Yes, I think work on a flexible plan for the main settlement - or Sagan City - should start now. It doesn't need to be a ground plan as such - more a conceptual plan, or a "possibilities plan".
This is a useful link for thinking about a city on Mars:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015 … -diy-guide

louis · 2018-11-23 08:39:27

2030

There are now an amazing 21 BFSs surrounding the settlement. 11 have been fully decommissioned and there is debate about what to do with them. It has been agreed the first cargo BFS will be preserved as a monument. Work has already begun on a dedicated spaceport some 10 kms outside the nascent city. This will be served by the two new LPVs (Large Pressurised Vehicles) - small buses really - which can carry up to 15 passengers. The LPVs were assembled at the Industrial Hab from imported parts. There is a Reception Centre being built at the spaceport (named the Aldrin Spaceport in honour of the late Buzz Aldrin - lunar pioneer and Mars lobbyist).

Nearly 2000 tonnes of supplies have been brought in since 2024. The supply store means that whatever happens, people should be able to survive with emergency food, water, medical supplies, oxygen and so on until rescue arrives, should some disaster befall the settlement.

It is time for Sagan City's (or rather Mars's) population to grow substantially. In 2030 100 new inhabitants have landed and the total population now stands at 120 (excluding those about to return to Earth on a return BFS). Already there are 5 permanent outposts: 3 mining facilities and 2 scientific outposts) staffed by a total of 12 personnel.

Most of the new inhabitants are going to be working in scientific research, media, exploration, mining, industrial projects and construction.

Just over half the staff are Space X employees but the rest are mainly people working for space agencies, universities, large companies and scientific research bodies. Their sponsors pay Space X for life support, accommodation and transport to and from the planet. Space X is about to create a wholly owned Mars Development Corporation to take forward the development of Mars.

Cleared roadways now lead out from the settlement - there are five main highways and something like 30 branches. The roadways are kept clear of boulders and sand by a dedicated team of 5 who operate two Road Maintenance Vehicles.

A Photovoltaics Manufacturing Facility (PMF) has just been set up. It is a highly robotised assembly line, looked after by two MDC staff members. Initally it is using imported materials e.g. pure silica for test runs but an adjacent Photovoltaics Materials Preparation Unit (PMPU) is already nearing completion. These will eventually prepare materials for use in the manufacturing facility. The output of the PMF will initially be about 35,000 square metres per (Earth) annum but could easily rise to over 100,000 sq. metres. There are is a PV Energy plan which will involve manfucturing on Mars of the PV manufacturing machines themselves with only about 5% components being imported from Earth. Energy independence for Mars is considered a high priority.

In another development a rocket hopper has identified a strong methane source about 1000kms away from Sagan City. It is not known what is generating the methane but it is considered feasible to trap the methane and pressurise it there. We may be seeing the start of a second city, as it would be logical for a spaceport to be located at the methane source, rather than bring the methane to Sagan City but for the moment the plan is use robot tankers to transport the gas in pressurised tanks to Sagan City Spaceport. A possible road trail is being surveyed.

Last edited by louis (2018-11-23 11:04:35)

louis · 2018-11-23 15:30:45

Personally I favour the NE corner of Chryse Planitia.

https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/target/marsmap1b.jpg

...about 35 degrees West and 25 degrees North.

(North East of the Viking 1 Lander Site)

However, whatever location is chosen will be a compromise. Chryse Planitia is not too far away from Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris - two interesting locations and future tourism destinations. The water content in the regolith in that area is supposed to be around 4-6%, so exploitable. There is iron ore in the area. And it's flat for landing. The landing site has to be pretty flat so either it will be a plain or in the middle of a very large crater...more likely a plain I think.

tahanson43206 wrote:

Edit: Location, Location, Location ... the mantra of the Real Estate community .... where do you think a city dedicated to the memory of Carl Sagan would be located?

Last edited by louis (2018-11-23 17:11:24)

tahanson43206 · 2018-11-23 18:45:43

Louis,

You ARE the Founder of Sagan City, if you will accept the responsibility, along with the opportunity.

The concept exists as an idea in NewMars Forum right now. Since a city is a social construct, you have a small loudspeaker now, but over time, there is nothing (that I can see) that would preclude this forum turning into a megaphone. Void said recently, in another topic, that NewMars is a discussion forum, and not a Mission Control (I'm paraphrasing from memory). In my view, the history of NewMars as a discussion forum does not preclude decision making upon occasion.

Accordingly, I recommend you accept the burden of making decisions for critical items such as the location.

By making a firm decision, you will collapse an infinite number of alternate futures into a single set, with your decision as a marker for subsequent branching by others as they see places for themselves, or for their ideas, in the space you have created.

Therefore, I invite you to make a firm decision on location of Sagan City.

It is not clear to me that you have consulted the preferences of Dr. Sagan, but if any exist, now would be a good time to locate and to republish them.

(th)

louis wrote:

Personally I favour the NE corner of Chryse Planitia.
https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/target/marsmap1b.jpg
...about 35 degrees West and 25 degrees North.
(North East of the Viking 1 Lander Site)
However, whatever location is chosen will be a compromise. Chryse Planitia is not too far away from Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris - two interesting locations and future tourism destinations. The water content in the regolith in that area is supposed to be around 4-6%, so exploitable. There is iron ore in the area. And it's flat for landing. The landing site has to be pretty flat so either it will be a plain or in the middle of a very large crater...more likely a plain I think.

SpaceNut · 2018-11-23 19:44:55

We have been seen as a unique opportunity as NASA agencies have logged into the site and read a few of our topics in the past and we do have a resident connection on the Maven project thou he can not directly post about such activity for now as a lead scientist.
I would hope that even Space x might have a few that are reading the site as well...
There have been many a contributor to Mars society as well in Robert Dyck and he was also a part of the Mars Homestead but there are many more in Kbd512, GW, Loius, JoshNH4H, elderflower, Oldfart1939, Void that contribute all the time in no particular order and that is a short list. We have many that have come and gone over time.

louis · 2018-11-25 20:13:38

I am sure even the Big E (or Big M if you prefer) visits here very occasionally - maybe when he's lit one of his big spliffs and wants to relax, let his mind float free.

SpaceNut wrote:

We have been seen as a unique opportunity as NASA agencies have logged into the site and read a few of our topics in the past and we do have a resident connection on the Maven project thou he can not directly post about such activity for now as a lead scientist.
I would hope that even Space x might have a few that are reading the site as well...
There have been many a contributor to Mars society as well in Robert Dyck and he was also a part of the Mars Homestead but there are many more in Kbd512, GW, Loius, JoshNH4H, elderflower, Oldfart1939, Void that contribute all the time in no particular order and that is a short list. We have many that have come and gone over time.

Last edited by louis (2018-11-25 20:13:58)

SpaceNut · 2018-11-26 20:50:34

Louis the Mayor of Mars may need to abdicate if Elon Musk wants to move to Mars

tahanson43206 · 2018-11-26 22:15:22

SpaceNut,

Louis might have to abdicate if Mr. Musk wants "Sagan City", but I expect we'll have lots of Musk related names:

Muskville
North Muskville, South Muskville, East and West Muskville
Greater Muskville
Upper Muskville, Lower Muskville

Olde Musktown
New Musktown

However, Louis has not yet chosen an exact location for Sagan City, so the point may be moot.

Edit:
Begin Quotation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan

The landing site of the unmanned Mars Pathfinder spacecraft was renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station on July 5, 1997.
End Quotation.

(th)

SpaceNut wrote:

Louis the Mayor of Mars may need to abdicate if Elon Musk wants to move to Mars

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2018-11-26 23:33:49)

louis · 2018-11-27 06:39:14

I have been pretty specific about where I would put Sagan City, north east of the Viking 1 landing site.

Here's a suggestion for the exact location - about 20 Kms SW of the Wabash crater. The exact co-ordinates are 34.58 degrees west and 21 degrees north. You can view it here:

https://mars.nasa.gov/maps/explore-mars-map/fullscreen/

The co-ordinates are in the bottom right of the screen - very tiny but you'll see they change as you move the cursor. You can use the pin tool to pin the location. You can zoom in using the + sign (bottom left of the screen).

I haven't done a detailed analysis of the site, apart from noting its general location and the fact it is supposed to have reasonable water content in the regolith. It's in the zone where you get some of the best insolation rates (although I think around 29-30 degrees north is actually the best). It's got clear space around it as far as I can see but obviously you'd need to investigate further.

tahanson43206 wrote:

SpaceNut,
Louis might have to abdicate if Mr. Musk wants "Sagan City", but I expect we'll have lots of Musk related names:
Muskville
North Muskville, South Muskville, East and West Muskville
Greater Muskville
Upper Muskville, Lower Muskville
Olde Musktown
New Musktown
However, Louis has not yet chosen an exact location for Sagan City, so the point may be moot.
Edit:
Begin Quotation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan
The landing site of the unmanned Mars Pathfinder spacecraft was renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station on July 5, 1997.
End Quotation.
(th)

SpaceNut wrote:
Louis the Mayor of Mars may need to abdicate if Elon Musk wants to move to Mars

tahanson43206 · 2018-11-27 08:52:24

SearchTerm:SaganCityAttributesOf

To perform an unambiguous search for the above in NewMars forum, use the and function and the colon as tie breaker. eg, SearchTerm: and :SaganCity

Sagan City on Mars (2018 version)
Attributes compiled from posts by Louis

Location: 34.58 degrees West and 21 degrees North
Suggested by: Louis on NewMars Forum
Population: Zero as of 2018/11/27 on Earth
Policy for Time: NASA/JPL precedent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timekeeping_on_Mars
A Martian day is divided into 24 Martian hours of 60 Martian minutes and 60 Martian seconds
Time Zones are not defined by NASA/JPL
Policy for Time Zones:
Time Zones are needed for coordination of activities around the planet
The time zones will default to 15 degrees of longitude
Lines of latitude and longitude have been defined by precedent
https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Spac … de_on_Mars
Area: Circle of radius 50 kilometers
Boundaries: Circumference of a circle of 50 kilometers radius

Governance: To be defined (update pending)
Policy for Immigration: To be defined (update pending)
Policy for Behavior by Human Beings: To be defined (update pending)
Additional items: to be added

Most recent edit: 2018/12/16

(th)

louis wrote:

I have been pretty specific about where I would put Sagan City, north east of the Viking 1 landing site.
Here's a suggestion for the exact location - about 20 Kms SW of the Wabash crater. The exact co-ordinates are 34.58 degrees west and 21 degrees north. You can view it here:
https://mars.nasa.gov/maps/explore-mars-map/fullscreen/

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2018-12-21 08:52:03)

louis · 2018-11-27 16:03:56

I don't think the city would need any boundaries for a long time. In any case most cities on Earth don't match their formal boundaries in terms of the reality on the ground.

The city will cover quite a large area even when the population is under 500 because the spaceport will need to be placed some (safe) distance from the main settlement location, and because the photovoltaic fields will be extensive.

Plot0002 Law is established

In terms of governance I would like to see a seamless progression from appointed governor (or CEO, or what other title is preferred) through governor plus appointed council to appointed governor with legislative council (in part elected) to appointed governor and mostly elected legislative council through to elected governor and elected legislative council, subject to some Earth veto power, and finally through to elected President and elected legislature, with Mars being declared an independent entity, that rules itself.

Immigration - I favour a controlled equal rights immigration policy based on proven ability for focussed work, ability to contribute to development of Mars society (useful skills), and concurrence with the stated core values of the Mars settlement. Personally I would favour secularism being firmly planted as a core value.

In terms of behaviour, yes there will be a behaviour code early on I am sure, probably from the get-go, which will evolve into laws. Mars will have the perfect punishment available for serious miscreants and wrongdoers: banishment back to Earth. Of course, that punishment will decline in relevance once people start to raise families on Mars.

I would favour Mars having one official language: English, the language of international science, academia and the arts on Earth. I think of Mars in the early stages as being most like a prestigious American campus (for good or bad!). Talented people will be drawn from all over Earth. They will be from many different cultural backgrounds but will communicate in English and share some common core values.

tahanson43206 wrote:

SearchTerm:SaganCityAttributesOf
To perform an unambiguous search for the above in NewMars forum, use the and function and the colon as tie breaker. eg, SearchTerm: and :SaganCity
Sagan City on Mars
Attributes compiled from posts by Louis
Location: 34.58 degrees West and 21 degrees North
Founder: Louis on NewMars Forum
Population: Zero as of 2018/11/27 on Earth
Area: To be defined
Boundaries: To be defined
Governance: To be defined
Policy for Immigration: To be defined
Policy for Behavior by Human Beings: To be defined
Additional items: to be added
(th)
louis wrote:
I have been pretty specific about where I would put Sagan City, north east of the Viking 1 landing site.
Here's a suggestion for the exact location - about 20 Kms SW of the Wabash crater. The exact co-ordinates are 34.58 degrees west and 21 degrees north. You can view it here:
https://mars.nasa.gov/maps/explore-mars-map/fullscreen/

louis · 2018-11-28 08:55:54

2032

Incoming BFS Starships now land at the newly opened Aldrin Spaceport . 10 concrete landing pads have already been prepared. There is also a new major propellant plant facility. Work on the Aldrin Spaceport Reception Terminal building is almost complete.

This year 8 BFS Starships have brought a total of 230 new residents to Mars. Total population following the departure of 90 previous residents will be 260.

Coping with such a dramatic turnover of population throws out big logistical challenges. The 230 new residents are divided into 5 teams of between 40 and 70 personnel each with its own Team Management Unit comprising 4 staff who are part of the Team and 2 Reception staff from the existing resident population. The TMU handles medical screening, psychological interview and assessment, general induction (over 2 tensols) which includes and extensive tour of the area of Sagan City and work assignment/training where necessary.

Accommodation is already awaiting the newcomers. The Starships have also brought 10 inflatable habs for various purposes including natural light experimental agrihabs (with associated solar reflectors.

The majority of the 230 newcomers are scientists and researchers including not just physical scientists but a team of three social scientist keen to record and analyse the creation of a new human society on a planet other than Earth. These 150 new residents are in combination producing for the MDC/Space X revenue of $400 million per annum in transport, life support and accommodation charges.

The Starships also brought in 60 scientific experiment packages which the MDC will manage with its own staff. These are also generating

The MDC has published its first 10 Year Development Plan - a rolling programme which will be revised annually. This contains some intriguing proposals. One is for work to start the following year on the first ELE (Earth-Like Environment). A narrow natural gorge near Wabash Crater is to be deepened and covered over with airtight bleu tinted glass panelling. The walls are to be sealed. The whole gorge, some 200 metres long, between 10 and 30 metres deep and between 10 and 20 metres wide is then to be pressurised with an Earth analogue atmospheric gas mixture. Lighting will be enhanced by solar spectrum lights attached to the higher elevations. Earth analogue soil (about 2000 tonnes) will then be spread on the gorge floor and in various nooks and crannies and planted out with seeds and saplings from Earth. There will be a waterfall feature using pumped water. Paths and suspended ropeways/gangplanks will be installed, so that people can walk/climb distances up to 2 kms without retracing their steps. At the centre of the gorge will be minipark with automated refreshment facility. A team of 5 personnel will run the Gorge Park.

A large Mars Soil Facility is being developed on the outskirts of the city to produce Earth analogue soil for use in agrihabs. Production will start of 100 tons and gradually increase to over 10,000 tonnes per Earth annum. The MSF can crush rock, mix in Mars clay and gravel, make soil conditioner and fertiliser, and will in a controlled manner incorporate food waste and human waste into the artificial soil, along with worms and permitted bacteria.

Edited to add: The Exploration Hab is very busy - this is the nerve centre for many of the scientific expeditions on Mars as they travel out to quite remote locations. Intraplanetary transport by BFR Starship will be a possibility within the next 2 to 4 years but for the moment, owing to the constraints of propellant production and safety issues regarding landing sites, the only way to move is by MegaRover - the big 5 tonne tracker rovers that can carry anything up to 12 people at a time (for shorter journeys). The most distant outpost now is a scientific expedition location "The Valles Marineris Observation Post" - located some 1500 kms from Sagan City. It takes 5 days to reach the outpost using the cleared road trail. However, it is already a very popular destination. Many Mars residents "hitch a ride" there as there is a lot of kudos to saying you have been there and seen the sun rise of this most spectacular natural feature.

The MDC have introduced the LMS - lightweight Mars suit, an innovative MCP suit that allows people 30 minutes of autonomous activity time on the surface but with excellent radiation protection. The suit is rated for use 4 times a year. It's not much more complicated than a scuba diver suit. "Mars Cave Parties" where people take their food and drink with them and picnic in a secluded cave are becoming v. popular (the suit allows you to take in liquids through a straw and also bring in food to you mouth via an ingenious "pressure chamber". Humans on Mars crave the outdoors experience and this is one way to get it - in a cave that affords a vista over the plains but which also gives you maximum radiation protection. Here you light your "cave lamp" (a MOx lamp that gives a nice glow) and enjoy that semi-mystical experience of being so close to the real planet. Maybe you carve your initials and the date on the face of the cave.

Not far from the "old centre" of Sagan City (as it is now called) a Sculpture Park has been opened. The park can be seen from many of the buildings on higher ground. It is lit at night and is one of the most beautiful sights you can see within the city. There are already 20 sculptures in the park either made on Earth and imported or produce on Mars according to artists' instructions. The Sculpture Park has generated a staggering $370 million in revenue for MDC/Space X through sales commission, transport charges and upkeep agreements. The statues which were initially valued at $230million in total now have a nomnial value of $650million. They are all the products of leading artists on Earth and the very fact they are among the first art works on Mars gives them a lot of added value back on Earth.

The sculpture park is administered by the Mars Arts Commission which also has responsibly for creating an attractive city environment.

Last edited by louis (2018-11-28 19:43:13)

louis · 2018-12-05 05:21:55

2034

The tenth anniversary of humans first landing on Mars! The date gets a lot of attention on Earth, where billions of people are fascinated by developments on our "cousin" planet.

The original pioneers are long gone from the planet of course. The longest domiciled resident on Mars has been there only 6 years. There are still concerns about the long term effects of living on Mars. A special medical-scientific programme - HOMP - Humans on Mars Project - is working on all fronts to extend what is referred to as the "Domicile Maximum" (currently 4 years for all except project test subjects). Key to success has been genetic screening of potential residents as there is a wide variation in the human population as regards ability to adapt well to conditions on Mars. Mars pioneers also need to have the right psychological profile, being committed to the required exercise and medication programmes.

Let's give Mars in 2034 the Wikipedia style country profile:

Capital and largest municipality: Sagan City (only settlement of any size - 90% of the population reside here). There are 23 other mining or research bases with a total population of 55.

Official language: English (American English). (There is a standing instruction that all official communication must be in English, primarily for safety reasons.

Religion: None. Mars regulatory approach is secular. There is a standing instruction that religious observance must be a matter of private observance. No Mars Development Corporation (MDC) facilities are made available for communal religious worship.

Demonyms: Aresian (official), Martians, Marsians, Pioneers

Population: 543

Government: Company administration under OST auspices of USA. Lead officer is known as the Principal Officer (PO). The PO appoints a Management Team of Directors in consultation with Earth HQ.

Legislature: Standing Instructions are issued by the PO and Management Team. Standing instructions are issued within a numbering system. Instructions may be rescinded.

Area: 144.8 million km² (over 8 times the size of the Russian Federation, the largest country by area on Earth)

GDP: Difficult to estimate but one economist has put it at the equivalent of $3.5 billion per (earth) annum.

Currency: US Dollar and what is commonly dubbed the "Mupee", "Mars Universal Productivity Exchange" (an electronic points system that rations resources and allows Mars residents to access certain luxury items on Mars - e.g. vacuum packed meat meals, some clothing, books, magazines, all imported from Mars and such things as rover expeditions to developing tourist spots on Mars, hairdressing services and so on - the points cannot be exchanged between residents, can only be expended on goods and services).

Driving side: People drive on the right. But most driving is done by the onboard robot.

The Mars Economy: Inward investment is running at approximately $2.1billion per Earth annum (p.e.a). This is nearly all channelled through the MDC. The MDC is itself highly profitable. Its annual profit (garnered from commercial sponsorship, payments from universities and others sending personnel to Mars, sale of regolith, life support and accommodation payments, exclusive media deals and the like) is $2.9 billion pea. That is after payments to Space X for provision of BFR Starship transportation services, totalling around $1.8 billion pea.

In terms of economic activity on Mars, by human resources (labour time), around 40% relates to science and research, 20% is related to industry (including recycling), 10% to media, coms and services (including central admin), 8% is dedicated to agriculture, 4% transportation, 5% to construction, 4% to mining, and 4% to life support. Over 60% of personnel work across sectors ie have more than one area of responsibility.

Media: There are several media units on Mars. Mars TV provides content for two Mars-dedicated channels back on Earth, the subscription free "World of Mars" and the subscription-based "Mars Exclusive". Mars TV also provides exclusive content to companies such as Netflix, National Geographic, Discovery and Disney, often focussing on Mars exploration expeditions. Mars TV also provides a TV service on the Sagan City cable network. This is called Update and broacasts a mix of news, information announcements (eg safety), sports (basketball and badminton are the two favoured sports), discussion programmes, talks, SET education videos and material from the content sent back to Earth. There is also an online newspaper ("Ares Now") and a radio station Mars World Radio which broadcasts a similar mix to Mars TV but with much more emphasis on music. There are two teams that specialise in filming expeditions.

Aldrin Spaceport now has its completed terminal building which includes a well equipped Health Monitoring Centre to assess people's medical status on arrival. This includes a dedicated human rated 1-1.5G centrifuge.

The Mars Starlink satellite internet and GPS network has recently been activated and is undergoing tests.

The Mars Prize has been established with sponsorship from MDC, Space X, and the Musk Foundation. It is modelled in part on the Nobel Prize. There are various categories - Innovation and Science, Contribution to Terraformation etc. People from Mars and Earth are eligible, though one prize, the "Pioneer Prize" is given only to persons who have lived on Mars. The Prize is awarded once very four years. The total prize money is $100 million.

Elon Musk announces that he intends to retire to Mars in 2036. He says he will establish and develop a Mars Institute of Technology and Enterprise (MITE) with an endowment of $1.5 billion of his own money.

The Mars 10 year development plan envisages a period of consolidation at this point with population rising more slowly towards the 1000 level over the next few years.

A small manufacturing unit is to be established for Mars Rolex Watchassembly incorporating into imported watches Mars gems, regolith grains and watch hands using Mars ISRU materials. Work on the factory hab has already begun.

The new BFR Starship A (advanced) is currently being tested in Earth orbit. If testing proves successful it will be capable of "anytime" travel between Earth and Mars, combining both solar and rocket propulsion.

Last edited by louis (2018-12-09 19:25:18)

tahanson43206 · 2018-12-09 07:06:14

Louis,

Here is some local talent you might be able to recruit for a Sagan City project of some kind:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/07/27-year … mazon.html

(th)

New Mars Forums

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