Mars Base One: Creating a Permanent Presence on the Red Planet

The first mission to Mars raises the question: How will a permanent base on Mars be established? Although this is some time ahead, the opportunities and challenges posed by Mars Base One are already clear: the great distance from Earth; the necessity for self sufficiency; the challenges of long term living on Mars; how to establish a two way traffic between the planets; minimise the cost of maintenance from Earth; and importantly, keep political support over a long period. These are all generic challenges with which we are familiar, or to which there are familiar and well tried solutions for terrestrial bases and colonies. To translate these solutions to the Mars base requires the application of known science and engineering. Focusing on the near future, the theme of the book will be how to establish a base on Mars and maintain it with minimum cost and risk as well as examining future life in the base, what colonists will do there, the possibilities of trade and export, legal issues, human issues, birth, life, and death on Mars.