This could facilitate the production of fibreglass, which the STI paper rated as вЂњan excellent material for constructing various types of structureвЂќ.

The most common material measure by the landers that explored MarsвЂ™s surface as part of NASAвЂ™s highly successful Viking programme in the mid-70s was silicone dioxide, the basic constituent of glass, which could be produced using time-honoured sand-melting techniques. NASA has also identified that clay-like minerals are common in the planetвЂ™s surface soils, facilitating the simple production of ceramics for pottery. вЂњCrater walls, central uplifts and the edges of canyons are therefore the prime sites for mineral exploration because they expose the stratigraphy and potential mineralized zones.вЂќ вЂњDespite the large variations in topography, much localized Martian geology is flat-lying therefore the probability of finding an ore deposit that intersects the surface will be low,вЂќ West and Clarke wrote in the study. 'Large igneous provinces, volcanoes and impact craters hold significant potential for nickel, copper, iron, titanium, platinum group elements and more.' Clarke of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology contended that although the differences between the atmosphere and crusts of the Earth and Mars make mineral exploration less predictable, there are areas, especially large igneous provinces, volcanoes and impact craters that hold significant potential for nickel, copper, iron, titanium, platinum group elements and more. West of the Mars Institute and Jonathan D.A. However, there is enough information to make some likely estimations.ДЄ 2009 research paper written by Michael D. The abundance of water, as well as atmospheric CO2, would make it relatively easy to chemically produce oxygen, plastics, and methane and hydrogen fuels.ДЄnalysing the red planetвЂ™s mineral potentialД«ut what about minerals that will be needed to fuel manufacturing efforts and build adequate subterranean habitations? The relative scarcity of data on Martian geology means there is less confidence of mineral deposits than in even the riskiest inferred mineral resources on Earth. Fortunately, the surface of Mars is replete with potential water supplies, from the planetвЂ™s icy poles to вЂњrecent indications of huge ice lakes near the surfaceвЂќ, the STI paper notes, which could be extracted via heating using solar tents or microwave technology. The first task would certainly be to secure water resources for essential life support. вЂњThe ISRU technologies necessary to sustain a permanent human presence on Mars either exist now or will reach sufficient Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) in time to be implemented into the first Mars-Humans mission expected to occur by 2037,вЂќ the paper noted. Bushnell of the Langley Research Center and published in April 2016. These thoughts are collected in a scientific and technical information (STI) paper called вЂFrontier In-Situ Resource Utilization for Enabling Sustained Human Presence on MarsвЂ™, co-authored by Robert W.

Given that regular trips ferrying cargo from Earth to Mars would be cost-prohibitive in almost any scenario, a colony would need to live off the land for the most part.ДЇor years, NASA has been considering the challenges of relying on Martian resources for human survival using techniques collectively summarised as frontier in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU). A host of technologies and techniques will be needed to create a self-sustaining settlement. When it comes to the long-term ambition of establishing a Martian colony, reaching the planet itself with a manned mission only scratches the surface of the challenge. But as the likes of SpaceX and NASA consider the first tentative steps towards setting up a long-term colony on Mars, what role could tapping into the red planetвЂ™s mineral resources play in making this long-held dream a reality?

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