Mars Colony

thingiverse

Colony is spread over a triangular area of 100M per side. The colony is divided in to three pods. Each pod is 40M in diameter. The complex is at a maximum height of 6 meters, allowing for multiple inside levels. 2M of this is located underground. Each pod is connected to the other two pods via redundant pathways. a 70M pathway on the exterior, and a 30M pathway from the interior. Both pathways are underground. In the centre of the three pods is a reactor room for sustainable backup energy during dust storms and other environmental scenarios that limit natural energy. In the centre of each pod is a wind-turbine enclosure, housing a BAT - Boyant Air Turbine (http://www.altaerosenergies.com/bat.html) Each enclosure has 10 "petals" that open to release the air turbine. Each petal can cater for up to 12 solar panels on the inside (so only usable when the enclosure is open). Premise: The building blocks of a Mars base should have three key components for longevity: limited exposure to the elements, redundancy, and simplicity. I have built a complex that is designed in such a way as to allow very fast and modular construction. Without any complexity, the pod design can be constructed one pod at a time, with the reactor energy source being planted first or last. In terms of power, Mars is a very hit-and-miss location for solar energy, however it has strong wind currents, especially higher up. Using Altaeros Energies Boyant Air Turbines, which float 1000ft/300M in the air, enough wind energy can be harnessed per turbine to easily sustain power to the full complex. For additional power support, solar panels can be planted on the inside of the BAT-Containment petals, allowing them to only be used when there is no threat of damage. A reactor (nuclear) would sit as backup power, to be used only during major dust storms, or during repair on other power sources. Due to the temperature, 2M of the pods would be underground, to offer additional insulation to reduce power requirements to keep the pods cold or hot.