Housing

Alba Mons

For an isolated compound, the safest bet is moving into the lava tubes under Alba Mons, a gigantic volcano. Living underground adds an extra layer of protection against threats such as high radiation levels, harsh temperatures, dust storms, and meteor showers.

Full-spectrum Lighting

The colony would light up these underground halls with bright, full-spectrum lighting to fight off the gloom and keep everyone healthy, avoiding conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), bone-related illnesses, and a weakened immune system.

Modular Structure

The setup would resemble something along the lines of the International Space Station. What this means is that the base would consist of a series of rooms connected to each room with their own purpose. There are multiple benefits when making something based on a modular system, the biggest one being interchangeability and effectiveness. This will allow for the easier installation of new rooms that might need to be added for an experimental purpose, and the easier management of rooms used for basic purposes.

Dangers of an Aboveground Settlement

Radiation

The atmosphere of Mars is 1% of Earth’s atmosphere, which means the surface of the red planet receives about 2.5 times the UV radiation of Earth’s surface. Being exposed to these radiation levels for extended periods can significantly decrease a person's lifespan.

Elements

Mars has strong winds, which can lead to massive dust storms sometimes lasting months. Some of these dust storms cover a majority of the planet, making escape impossible. These storms would damage any structure over time and block solar panels.

Harsh Temperature

During the daytime, the surface temperatures of Mars rest at around an average of -80°F, in the summer reaching up to 70°F. However, at night these temperatures can drop to -195°F. Unlike the surface, the lava tubes offer a more stable environment, combating the harsh temperature with the natural insulation of the tubes.

Structural Plans

The structures and living quarters of the Aurora colony will be primarily underground in the lava tubes of Alba Mons. This will provide a natural shield against the constant high UV radiation and the dust storms. The surface air pressure of Mars is less than 1% of Earth’s, which means a person on Mars would have to be kept in a pressurized environment for every moment they live on the planet. If a single breach were to occur in an above-ground structure on Mars, almost all the air particles inside said structure would be sucked out in seconds, which would kill all animal life inside. Living underground adds an extra layer of protection against this threat. If a wall were to rupture underground, the air needed to sustain human life would dissipate much more slowly than if it were to be released above ground because the ground acts as a natural cage for the air. Another problem with living on a surface-based Mars is the threat of meteors. An underground colony would protect against that.