Description:
(This is not an actual Mars Project Challenge submission, but an example of the submission formats.) Mars Analog Research Stations are laboratories for learning how to live and work on another planet. Each is a prototype of a habitat that will land humans on Mars and serve as their main base for months of exploration in the harsh Martian environment. They could be located at various locations on Earth that are in some way analogous to the Mars environment. Crews of researchers, engineers, students, etc. could man them for varying periods and perform actual field research under certain constraints (having to live and work in a small habitat, wear bulky suits when outside, etc.). Setting up one habitat is estimated to be in the order of $1M US. Operational costs are harder to estimate, maybe $50K US yearly.