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Here is an idea for another power source for our hypothetical settlement - methane from bacterial metabolism.
This article discusses Terran methanogens as a possible analouge for Marsian life. Lets turn this around and have our brave settlers bring seed stock of these little buggies and the designs for creating methanogen heaven. (And watch Chris McKay go ballistic!)
Genetic engineer fast growing methanogens which can grow readily on Marsian water and Marsian C02 and build new vats from Marsian regolith as fast as these little guys reproduce. Harness the power of biological replication to continually increase your methane making capability, maing sure your little bugs are happy, happy, happy in the vats we build for them.
Nothing fancy or too high tech except the engineered DNA inside the microbes. Use clay pots built from Marsian soil, fill with Marsian water and regolith and enclose with Marsian C02 inside a kevlar tent, heated just enough to reach ideal temperature for fast metabolism. When microbe numbers increase, go in (in a space suit) collect a seed sample and transplant to new vats.
Siphon off the methane and burn it for energy with pure distilled drinking water as a by product.
Martian surface conditions include low pressure, low temperature, very little water, and an atmosphere that contains large amounts of carbon dioxide with almost no oxygen. Assuming that hydrogen and some water are present under the surface, the basic requirements for methanogen growth are met on Mars. And even if hydrogen is not present, carbon monoxide is, and some methanogens can use this instead of hydrogen.
Subsurface life on Mars would not be able to produce energy through photosynthesis, but would need to use chemical energy through the oxidation of inorganic matter. Such organisms are called chemoautotrophs.
Methanogens are chemoautotrophs that consume hydrogen and carbon dioxide, producing methane as waste. Few terrestrial organisms could survive anything approaching harsh Martian conditions, but methanogens can flourish in some of Earth's most inhospitable environments, such as ocean floor vents and peat bogs.
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These people are looking at methanogens to sequester atmospheric CO2 as methane as part of the global warming issue.
Such research might help isolate strains that could produce methane efficiently on Mars. M. maripaludis generated methane from carbon dioxide and hydrogen without the consumption of organic molecules
If this process can be isolated and amplified, using gene splicing techniques if necessary, this microbe can produce useable methane from resources derived 100% from Marsian materials.
No supply line to Earth required.
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