Is mars good enough for human habitat?
Answers
A Mars habitat is a place that humans can live in on Mars.[2] Mars habitats must contend with surface conditions that include almost no oxygen in the air, extreme cold, low pressure, and high radiation.[3] Alternatively, the habitat may be placed underground which helps solve some problems but creates new difficulties.[4]
One aspect is the extreme cost of building materials for Mars, which by the 2010s was estimated be about 2 million USD per brick to the surface of Mars.[5] While the gravity on Mars is lower compared to Earth, there is increased solar radiation, temperature cycles, and for pressurized habitats high internal forces to contain the air.[6]
To contend with these constraints, architects have worked to understand the right balance between in-situ materials and construction, and ex-situ to Mars.[7] For example, one idea is to use the locally available regolith to shield against radiation exposure, and another idea is to use transparent ice to allow non-harmful light to enter the habitat.[7] Mars habitat design can also involve the study of local conditions, including pressures, temperatures, and local materials especially water