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MARS_INFRASTRUCTURE.blueprint
TECHNICAL_SPECIFICATION_v2.1 | CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
LAST_UPDATED: 2025.07.02
STATUS: MISSION_CRITICAL
POWER_REQ: 100kW+ BASE_LOAD
SHIP_MASS_BUDGET
~500 TONNES
Critical Earth-manufactured components
ISRU_POTENTIAL
~2000 TONNES
Local fabrication capacity
POWER_BOTTLENECK
CRITICAL
SMR + Solar hybrid required
SYSTEM_NAVIGATION_MATRIX
01_HABITATS
Life support systems
02_WATER
H2O extraction & purification
03_LANDING
Pad & plume mitigation
04_POWER
SMR + Solar hybrid
05_THERMAL
Heat management network
06_MAKERS
ISRU production plant
07_AGRICULTURE
Food production systems
08_SHELTER
Radiation & storm protection
09_MOBILITY
Maintenance & transport
10_COMMS
Surface communications
01_SEALED_HABITATS_&_ATMOSPHERE_MGMT
PRIORITY: CRITICAL | MASS: 45T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Pressure vessel for crew + active control of O₂, CO₂, humidity, trace contaminants
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Lightweight pressure shells (Vectran®, Kevlar®)
- • Precision airlocks & pressure-rated windows
- • All valves/sensors/control systems
- • LiOH/solid-amine CO₂ sorbent cartridges
- • Platinum-group catalysts for Sabatier reactors
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Sintered-regolith bricks for bulk structure
- • Basalt-fiber reinforced sulfur-concrete
- • Regolith berms for radiation shielding
- • O₂ makeup via solid-oxide electrolysis (MOXIE)
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Polymer sealants & elastomers degrade in radiation/temperature swings. Cannot yet be produced from Martian feedstocks. Precision pumps & sensors depend on Earth-made electronics.
02_WATER_EXTRACTION_&_PURIFICATION
PRIORITY: CRITICAL | MASS: 25T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Melt subsurface ice, de-salt/de-perchlorate, store in food-grade tanks
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Reverse-osmosis membranes
- • Ion-exchange resins
- • Catalytic perchlorate reducers
- • Cryo-coolers for ice drill heads
- • UV-C LEDs for disinfection
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Stainless/aluminum tanks from roll stock
- • Sand and basalt-grain filters
- • Ice trenching equipment
- • Solar concentrator mirrors
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Perchlorate removal is chemistry-intensive; catalysts need periodic resupply. Ice may be lens-shaped and non-uniform → high energy cost to mine.
03_PAD_&_PLUME_MITIGATION
PRIORITY: HIGH | MASS: 15T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Hardened landing/launch pads to prevent exhaust erosion
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Mobile microwave/laser sintering heads
- • Quick-setting geopolymer additives
- • Basalt fibers for regolith concrete tests
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Graded regolith sub-base
- • Hexagonal sintered-regolith tiles
- • Sulfur-concrete poured by robots
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Sintering requires megawatts of power for hours; must coincide with power ramp-up.
04_SURFACE_POWER_PLANT_HYBRID
PRIORITY: CRITICAL | MASS: 85T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Continuous ≥100kW electrical base-load plus daytime surges
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Encapsulated fast-spectrum SMR core (~10t)
- • Thermoelectric/Brayton converters
- • Heat-pipe radiators
- • Ultralight PV blankets & GaAs panels
- • First tranche lithium-ion cells
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Regolith berms for reactor shielding
- • Aluminum radiator fins (if bauxite present)
- • Basalt-fiber support masts for solar
- • Na-S or Fe-air batteries from local materials
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Rare-earth dopants & high-purity silicon for PV cannot yet be produced in-situ. Battery anodes/cathodes need high-grade processing.
05_THERMAL_CONTROL_NETWORK
PRIORITY: HIGH | MASS: 20T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Keep habitat & life-support above freezing, reject waste heat
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Glycol/ammonia heat-pipes
- • Variable-conductance radiators
- • Aerogel blanket insulation
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Regolith berms for thermal mass
- • Ice-water seasonal heat sinks
- • Simple rock-bed heat exchangers
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Long-term degradation of heat-pipe wicks. Aerogel production in-situ is chemically demanding (supercritical CO₂).
06_ISRU_PLANT_"MAKERS_ROW"
PRIORITY: CRITICAL | MASS: 55T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Produces O₂, CH₄, polyethylene, sulfur-concrete, sintered parts, metallic iron
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Electrolysis stacks
- • Sabatier reactors
- • Fischer-Tropsch catalysts
- • High-temp induction furnaces
- • Robotic 3D printers
- • Spare refractory crucibles
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • CO₂ + H₂O → CH₄/O₂ propellant
- • Regolith → glass fibers
- • Iron smelting via hydrogen reduction
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Catalyst poisoning by dust & perchlorates. Early hydrogen must be imported or electrolyzed at high power cost.
07_AGRICULTURAL_MODULES
PRIORITY: HIGH | MASS: 30T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Leafy greens, micro-tubers, mycoprotein reactors; closes water loop
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • High-efficiency LED grow lights
- • Nutrient salts
- • Initial seed stock
- • HEPA-filtered ducting
- • Stainless bioreactor vessels
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • ETFE-panel greenhouses + regolith cover
- • Compost from plant waste + human solids
- • (after pathogen kill)
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Nitrate and phosphate ores sparse on Mars. Must import or recover from waste streams with near-perfect efficiency.
08_RADIATION_&_STORM_SHELTERS
PRIORITY: CRITICAL | MASS: 12T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Shield crew during SPEs and dust storms
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Dosimetry sensors
- • Inflatable water jackets (dual-use storage)
- • Neutron-absorbing polymers (borated HDPE)
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Tunnels in lava tubes
- • 3D-printed regolith domes ≥2m thick
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Locating structurally sound tubes near base site. Excavation robots must tolerate perchlorate dust.
09_MOBILITY_&_MAINTENANCE_HUB
PRIORITY: HIGH | MASS: 35T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Garages, machine shop, parts depot for rovers, drones, suits
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • CNC mills/lathes
- • Spare electronic boards
- • Precision bearings
- • Lubricants stable at -80°C
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Building shells from regolith brick
- • Basalt-fiber overhead cranes
- • Sulfur-concrete floors
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Fine machine-tool tolerances depend on Earth-grade steel. Local steel quality will lag for years.
10_SURFACE_COMMUNICATIONS
PRIORITY: HIGH | MASS: 18T
CORE_FUNCTION:
Local Wi-Fi/Li-Fi mesh, UHF relay to orbiters, precision landing beacons
SHIP_FROM_EARTH:
- • Antennas & phased-array basebands
- • Atomic clock
- • Star-tracker kits
ISRU_FABRICATION:
- • Regolith-anchored mast poles
- • Parabolic dishes cast from molten basalt
- • Metal-sprayed surfaces
CRITICAL_LIMITATIONS:
Semiconductor fabs are decades away in-situ.
MATERIALS_AVAILABILITY_MATRIX
| MATERIAL | MARS_AVAILABILITY | EARLY_USE_CASE | LONG_TERM_LOCAL_PATH |
|---|---|---|---|
| REGOLITH (basaltic) | ABUNDANT | Sintered bricks, landing-pad tiles | Basalt fiber composites, glass, ceramics |
| WATER_ICE | POLAR & MID-LATITUDE | Drinkable water, electrolysis H₂/O₂ | Hydrogen for steel reduction, radiation shielding |
| SULFUR | HIGH_IN_REGOLITH | Sulfur-concrete (sets at -10°C) | Batteries (Na-S) |
| IRON_OXIDES | VERY_ABUNDANT | Radiation shielding backfill | Direct-reduced iron, structural steel |
| PERCHLORATES | WIDESPREAD_CONTAMINANT | — (HAZARD) | O₂ source after catalytic reduction |
| Si/Al_OXIDES | ABUNDANT_BUT_IMPURE | Glass fibers, Al₂O₃ ceramics | Solar-grade Si via carbothermal reduction |
STRATEGIC_ANALYSIS
CRITICAL_EARTH_DEPENDENCIES
- • Precision, life-critical components (pressure seals, electronics)
- • Chemistry-intensive systems (catalysts, membranes)
- • SMR core and advanced power electronics
- • Specialized manufacturing tools and machinery
IMMEDIATE_ISRU_OPPORTUNITIES
- • Regolith-based construction materials
- • Water extraction and storage systems
- • Sulfur-concrete for basic infrastructure
- • Simple metal reduction and casting
POWER_BOTTLENECK_ANALYSIS
- • 100kW+ continuous power required for most ISRU
- • SMR jump-starts everything, buffers dust-storm loss
- • Power scaling determines infrastructure development rate
- • Energy-intensive processes (sintering, smelting) must be coordinated
DUAL_USE_DESIGN_PRINCIPLES
- • Water tanks → radiation shelter
- • Sabatier CH₄ plant → emergency CO₂ scrubber
- • Manufacturing tools → repair/maintenance systems
- • Maximize utility per shipped kilogram
RESUPPLY_CADENCE_PROJECTION
YEAR_1-2:
Annual catalyst/membrane resupply. Critical spare parts. Emergency consumables.
YEAR_3-5:
Reduced frequency as local recycling improves. Specialized electronics and sensors.
YEAR_5+:
Minimal resupply once Martian chemical industry matures. Focus on rare elements.