Create a settlement
This page shows a typical early settlement and includes links to Marspedia pages about the various settlement facilities and their characteristics. If you want to design your own Mars facility, this is a good place to start! The tiles used to build this image of a settlement measure 9m x 9m and are mostly to scale.
Facilities
Storage
At the top of the colony plan you find a water storage tank, that feeds a water treatment facility. Storage is also provides for other resources, such as gases or minerals like silica sand, iron ore and calcium carbonate.
Lodging
Three connecting modules link to buried habitats, using martian regolith for radiation protection. The total habitable surface is about 1400 m2 over 3 floors, lodging 25 to 30 people.
Infirmary
An infirmary type health facility is provided near the habitats.
Lab
Research facilities will house a large part of the settlement's early activities.
Greenhouses
Four greenhouses produce food, but also do some atmospheric processing. With a total growing area of about 2000m2, extra artificial lighting and year long production,
Public spaces
A large dome serves as a public space as do all the connecting nodes between the modules.
Power
Solar
Power is provided by photovoltaic power arrays. The illustrated 8x8m array can produce 64 kWh of energy per day and a peak power of 11 kW.
Nuclear
Down to the lower right a nuclear reactor provides power during the night of if a dust storm blocks the light for the photovoltaics. The Kilopower reactor can provide 10 kW of power, or 240 kWh of electrical energy per day continuously for 10 years or more. it rejects about 30 kW of heat.
Vehicle maintenance
A garage is linked to the public area. Vehicle maintenance is critical to settlement operations, low temperatures and fine martian dust will be a maintenance challenge. The facility may be pressurized or not.
Laydown areas
Two laydown areas have been leveled to provide a smooth surface to store containers, finished products and inactive spaceships.
Manufacturing
A Manufacturing area processes in situ materials. Minerals are used to create construction materials; atmospheric CO2 and Water ice to create propellant.
Water treatment
A wastewater treatment plant takes in water from the settlement and the industrial processes and cleans it for re use.
Spaceport
A spaceport provides a prepared surface for visiting ships to land on.
Vibration and dust might favor a remote location.
Roads
Roads link the various areas of the settlement together. Rovers use these to move faster than over the original terrain.
Mines
Water ice and minerals are mined from the martian surface. Water infrastructures provide water to the settlements various needs.
