What will humans need to live on Mars?
Humans basically will need what they need on Earth to live: this certainly includes liquid water which is required by all living things as we know them; we will need oxygen at the right pressure so we can breathe; we need food; and, finally, ‘comfortable’ temperatures. For a few hours, this can be provided in space suits for people working on the surface of Mars, as is routinely happening in space close to the Earth when astronauts work outside the Space Shuttle or the Space Station. But, to live in a convenient environment on Mars for a longer time, ‘high tech’ buildings (so-called ‘habitats’) are needed which can hold the air for people to breathe. Oxygen for this air could be generated on Mars from rock and soil that is found there. Water could be excavated as ice from below the surface that is then brought into the habitat to be melted. Energy for heating could be produced by solar cells, using light from the sun. Food, however, may have to be brought from Earth at first, but later
