There are several reasons for the development of a permanent base on Mars let’s consider some of them. From the operational and logistic point of view, food production, air, water, fuel and construction materials are essential requirements. It’s not feasible with current technology to bring from Earth all the necessary supplies. Not only air and water but also food and beverages. We need a location for their production. Without a shelter and an operational base no activity can be proficiently performed. The fact that we are at two years round trip from Earth and not a few days like on the Moon is an additional motivation for self-sufficiency.

After a long flight characterized by lack of living space, lack of privacy, scarcity of water for washing, monotonous food, continuous danger, suppressed tensions between multicultural crew with a high potential for clashes -- similar to the situation aboard a nuclear sub but without the possibility of quitting or debarking -- there is a psychological need to have a shelter that can be recognized as home. Furthermore, every activity needs a starting place from where control and perform its operations. Without the right logistic support they become burdensome and ineffective.

The base will become the central and main point for planning and managing any Martian initiative. It will fulfill the need for a place to come back to after the first landing -- a place that can grow with the contribution of every successive user.

The paper includes a brief description of the base functions: shelter, work activities, utilities, storage, maintenance, life-support materials processing, food production; design parameters location and its implications: transportation and storage , minimum Earth-produced components, utilization of local resources, simplicity of handling, size, ease and speed of assembly, flexibility, modularity and componibility, safety, maintenance; the basic modular components; the construction system : the Earth manufactured and Mars produced “building blocks,” the modular building blocks and their manufacturing, handling, assembly and utilization; and a detailed description of the single operational units: shelter and related facilities , cafeteria, storage, fitness

communications, command and control, utilities, food production, medical, vehicle shelter, repair and maintenance, life support materials processing, and spaceport facilities.

Human Exploration