Deployment of Surface Infrastructure, Systems, and Layout for Mars Settlement

Abstract

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-4033.vid This research study investigates the optimal deployment of infrastructure and life support technologies to prepare and establish systems and settlement to sustain short and long term crewed human missions on the Martian surface. Minimal research and development on the initial sequence, design, and layout of autonomous machine operations impose limitations on settlement design, planning, and operations. This knowledge gap provides barriers and logistics challenges to understanding the relationships and dependencies between settlement systems. Preliminary research is conducted to help guide the optimal positioning of surface infrastructure and improve the colony productivity, efficiency, and expansion. This paper conducts a case study and high-level overview to analyze the autonomous deployment sequence, supply chain analysis, and stowed formation of surface technology and systems involved in the first uncrewed landing. A Warehouse, Repairment, & Charging Hub (WRCH) inflatable could provide a 892m3 habitat in an insulated, radiation shielded, and room temperature environment with the potential to reduce material degradation and costs in Martian conditions, and to improve robotic surface systems lifespan by more than an order of magnitude. Researchers evaluate previous and novel designs for ground-based technology, deployment methods, construction systems, payload crawlers, and machines. This research culminates in one of the first studies evaluating the deployment of infrastructure, systems, and habitat to improve the operations, cost, and economic efficiency of the first city on Mars.