Mars Homestead Project

Whilst out grazing, I came across this site: www.marshome.org...

"Mission Statement:

The mission of the Mars Homestead Project is to design and build the first permanent settlement on Mars.

The initial goal for the Mars Homestead Project is to identify the core technologies needed for an economical, growing Mars Base built primarily with local materials. Later phases would involve increasing levels of prototyping, either selecting existing equipment which could be used on Mars, or building prototypes of new equipment leading up to an entire simulated Mars Base. "

It'll be interesting to see what comes of this - even if it's ends up as no more than an academic exercise.

You can see the motivation - I wonder if there is any real alternative to using locally sourced materials, dragging a pile of stuff across 7 months of space doesn't seem overly practicalI guess you could amass it in earth orbit first tho').

Mars vernacular - now there's a thought.

It's one of the reasons they test the soil... If I remember correctly, they've already determined that about a dozen or so crops would grow in the martian soil (with proper greenhouse conditions, water, etc.).

This (or another project like it) has been going on for years...and they've been able to recycle most water, come up with all kinds of ways to improve food, and even tested breaking up water molecules into hydrogen for fuel on the way home!