Mars Research Station Two by xmbrst

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Mars Research Station Two (MaRS2) is an outpost devoted to testing agricultural and building methods on Mars. While the initial Mars landing focused on just getting us there and back alive, this second mission focuses on building the knowledge required for long-term habitation on Mars.
MaRS2 is constructed out of combination of Martian materials, equipment landed in advance of the MaRS2 manned mission, and materials salvaged from the MaRS2 spacecraft.
Inflatable Carbon Fiber Habs
--
This type of habitation can be deployed immediately, but it is vulnerable to puncture and offers no radiation protection. Although radiation on Mars' surface isn't an emergency concern, the crew has gotten a large dose of radiation on the trip from Earth and so will be eager to limit further lifetime exposure. (Inflatable habs are printed in black in the photos.)
3D-Printed Regolith Structures
--
To provide better radiation and structural protection, builder-bots print walls out of regolith mixed with a small amount of binder. The honeycombed tubes printed by the builder-bots can be filled with loose regolith to improve insulation, stability and shielding properties. With crane attachments builder-bots can also lift salvaged shielding into place. (Regolith structures are printed in red in the photos.)
Salvaged Shielding
--
The in-flight hab for the trip from Earth is surrounded by radiation shielding. After the landing, the shielding is repurposed as ceilings for regolith structures and for a quonset hut hab. Inflatable habs can be tethered to their shielding covers and regolith walls to prevent the sudden collapse of a hab around its inhabitants in the event of a leak. (Salvaged shielding is printed in white in the photos.)
Martian Garden
--
MaRS2 aims to determine whether viable martian soil can be created by fostering the growth of bacteria from a small sample of earth soil. The MaRS2 garden uses regolith walls with a salvaged shielding ceiling to protect the bacteria from radiation. Reflectors channel visible sunlight into the garden, but not high-energy particles. The garden is contained within a transparent inflatable.
Salvaged Structures
--
While less spacious than the inflatable habs, the in-flight hab and the descent vehicle can both be used as ground structures. Sand bags filled with regolith can be piled on top of the in-flight hab's rigid structure to provide some radiation shielding.
The descent vehicle can be used as a lab for potentially dangerous automated chemistry and fabrication experiments. It is visited by crew members for only short periods of time, and is kept disconnected from the main hab complex. (The in-flight hab and descent vehicle are printed in white in the photos.)
Scale
--
The connector tunnels that link the inflatable habs are just big enough for a person to walk through.