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Mars Colony Needs… what does a Mars colony need to survive?

The goal of this post is to brainstorm the various things that a Mars colony will need, early on, to aid their rapid colonization of Mars.

The assumption is that SpaceX have their hands full with the transport logistics, and therefore there’s benefit to other organizations building out anything they’re missing / not focused on.

Colonization Timeline

  • Currently – Sept 2021 – SpaceX are in the process of refining the design of Starship & Super Heavy.
  • Once completed, this design will allow for trips to Mars.
  • Around December 2022 is the earliest time that Starship can make a trip. Edit: Dec 2022 is here, and Starship is not ready for a launch.
  • One reason we need so many Starships is because they all need to be launched towards Mars close to the Earth/Mars alignment date every 26 months.
  • Earliest possible date for a fleet of ships, with humans, travelling to Mars, is early 2025 (I think!)

Categories of Needs

  • Food
    • Production of food (farming)
    • Storage of food
    • Distribution of food
  • Water
    • Conversion of water from ice
    • Storage of water
    • Transport of water
  • Shelter
    • Above ground
    • Below ground
    • Radiation shielding
    • Oxygen production and transport
    • Heating (!)
    • Furnishing (furniture, electronic equipment)
  • Electricity
    • Solar panels
    • Nuclear reactor
    • Batteries
    • Wiring cables
  • Entertainment
    • Initially can bring media content from Earth
  • Medical Care
    • Injury
    • General health issues
    • Child birth
    • Psychological support
  • Communication with Earth
    • Potentially want a Mars satellite, which relays to both Mars & Earth
  • Networking / internet around the planet

This post is incomplete. I’m planning to come back to it and update with more ideas.

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