Needed explorations

The existing knowledge about Mars is a valuable basis for planning the first settlement. However, before the development of a settlement, ground based explorations are required.

Geology

The underground geology of Mars needs to be explored. Sources of water, usable stone and concentrated mineral resources must be identified. Soil quality must be defined to create suitable foundations for settlement habitats.

Caves

The actual geometry of the Martian caves is unknown. Only the size of the entrance can be seen on photographs. If the caves are involved in settlement planning we need to know whether they are really usable or not. The exploration can be done by remote controlled machines, e.g. specialized rovers with agents crawling into the caves.

Required information

size and shape of subsurface caves
geological stability
internal temperature
deposits of water and minerals

Wind

We need more information about the atmospheric movements on Mars. The viability of wind turbines strongly depend on it. Several wind sensors could be brought to the Martian surface, each in a different region. With the additional knowledge we can optimize the construction of wind turbines.

Required information

strength and duration of wind
global wind patterns
peak wind speed
average wind speed in a Martian year for several regions

Geothermal energy

Signs of liquid water feed the hope of finding underground warm spots near the surface in some regions. A specialized rover can be sent to Mars to drill holes, measure temperature and determine geothermal potential. The present InSight_Mission has shown that drilling deeply into the Martian surface will be a significant challenge.