1. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 1
A Long-Duration Experiment to Test Mars’ Terraforming
Abilities and Create an Operational Base
Christine E. Odenwald
Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars

2. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 2
Scope Summary
This scope summary of the mission will be described with reference to the need,
goal, objective, mission case, operational concept, assumptions, and constraints of this
Mars mission.
Need
The main need of this mission is to first learn about Mars’ life-hosting abilities,
which will be accomplished by analyzing samples from the planet, and then its
terraforming abilities through experimentation.
Goal
The mission’s main goals will be to identify the area of Mars that is most suitable
for human life and to determine which of the four terraforming theories that will be listed
later is the most efficient.
Objective
The first objective will be to develop two ships that are capable of traveling to and
from Mars, robotics that can acquire samples, and a vacuum-sealed container to hold
the samples without altering them. Then, an experiment must be conducted to
determine if any of the samples contain life-supporting substances. Then, a manned-
mission will be conducted to test if any of the four terraforming theories is effective and
safe. If one of these theories proves to be highly efficient, it would be widely considered
by the scientific community to be used to terraform Mars.
Mission Case
The mission case will be to transport samples from Mars to Earth, experiment for
their life-supporting capabilities, and launch another mission to test for Mars’
terraforming abilities.
Operational Concept
The operational concept for the first part of the mission will be very intricate. It
involves the launching of two ships to Mars, landing of the ships on the surface,
collection of the samples by the robotics in the ships, loading of the samples onto the
ship, and then the return of the ship to Earth. For the second part, two supply ships will
be sent to Mars. Shortly after, a manned ship will be sent to set up a research outpost
and transform it into an operational base.
Assumptions
This mission has many assumptions. The development of the ship that can return
back from Mars, adequate testing in the laboratory, and the proper transition from a
research outpost to an operational base are all assumptions that will be made for this
mission.
Constraints
With assumptions come constraints in this mission. The large amount of funding
and personnel required for this mission and the possible contamination of the samples
on the return phase or in the laboratory. Other constraints include the launching of the
mission before 2040, the inclusion of a base with 10 to 40 people, and the departure of
the inhabitants in order to return to Earth by 2045. Because a failure to address these
aspects would corrupt the outcome of this mission, they will need to be carefully paid
attention to throughout the missions’ progression.

3. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 3
A Long-Duration Experiment to Test Mars’ Terraforming
Abilities and Create an Operational Base
Introduction
It is a proven fact that the Earth is becoming overpopulated. Thus, in the future,
the terraforming of one of our neighboring planets may become necessary to
compensate for the large amount of people inhabiting planet Earth. Mars is typically
brought up as being a strong possibly when this subject is mentioned, as Mars has
been proven to contain life-supporting substances through numerous NASA missions,
such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Express. There is a diverse
amount of theories on how to terraform Mars. The first theory is using large, orbital
mirrors that will redirect sunlight, which will heat the surface of Mars. The second theory
is creating greenhouse gas-producing factories to trap solar radiation in Mars, and, thus,
this will create a greenhouse effect that is similar to the one here on Earth. The third
theory is using asteroids made of ammonia and smashing them into the planet, which
will raise the greenhouse gas level. The fourth and final theory is to release the water in
Mars’ polar ice caps, which will alter Mars’ environment significantly, as water is the
source of all life (Bonsor n.d.). These theories will be the basis of the research in the
experimental phase of this mission.
Mission Base Name
This mission’s name will be Base Smith after an important manager named Peter
Smith. He is the leader of a very important NASA mission called the Phoenix Mars
Lander. The Phoenix spacecraft and rover have the ability to bring both soil and
water/ice to the lander platform for refined scientific analysis (Phoenix). This process is
imperative for the success of the first phase and the experimental phase of this mission
where ice, soil, and rock samples will be acquired. By utilizing the successful design of
the ship from the NASA mission Phoenix, this mission will become possible, which is
the reason that the resulting Mars outpost will be named after Peter Smith.
Mission Statement
The mission statement will include the overall predicted outcome of the
successful implementation of the mission and the major goals in the mission. The vision
of this mission is that through an enormous amount of experimentation will determine
how Mars will be terraformed. This determination is necessary for the future of the
human race, as the Earth is becoming highly overpopulated.
The overall goal of the mission is to reveal Mars’ terraforming abilities. However,
this major goal will be separated into major sub-goals. The first one is to acquire soil,
rock, and ice samples from Mars to determine which part of Mars is most suitable for a
research outpost. The second goal is to set up a temporary research outpost, and the
third goal is to transform the research outpost into an operational base. The final goal is
to run efficient experiments to determine which of the four terraforming theories works
the most competently. These four goals will accomplish the overall goal of the mission.
Mission Timeline
In this section, all of the events in reference to the four goals stated in the
mission statement above will be described. This mission will be conducted in three
separate launches, but they will all be connected to each other.

4. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 4
In the first launch, two robotic ships will be utilized to transfer robotic rovers to
Mars. One ship will land in the site where the Viking 2 mission of 1976 took place (which
was more in the middle of Mars), and the other ship will land in the site of the Phoenix
mission (which was more towards Mars’ polar ice cap). Both of these locations were
found to contain life-supporting substances, such as chloromethane and organics in the
Viking 2 mission location (Wilson 2012) and ice-rich soil and perchlorate salt in the
Phoenix mission site (Perez 2013). When the ships arrive at Mars, the rovers will be
deployed to collect rock, soil, and ice (if applicable) samples. After the collection of
these samples, they will be placed into vacuum-sealed cubicles in order to preserve
their original properties. These samples will be analyzed for their life-supporting
substances through multiple experiments. This process is why the samples cannot be
altered on the transfer back to earth.
Based upon the results of the experiments in the first phase of the mission, the
coordinates of the second mission will be determined. This launch phase will contain
two ships as well. One ship will contain the supplies needed for the crew’s initial task,
which is to create a temporary base, and the other ship will contain the materials
required to transition from a research outpost to an operational base can occur.
The third phase of the mission will send one ship containing the crew. The
supplies, except those needed for the trip, are sent separately, as all of the materials
needed to build the operational base would not fit in the ship. There will be enough
supplies in the crew’s ship for the trip to Mars and for a trip back to Earth just in case
something were to happen to the supply ships. If that were the case, then the mission
would have to be terminated. When the crew lands on Mars, the supply ships should
already be there and the astronauts will then build the temporary research outpost and
then the operational base. An enormous amount of research regarding Mars’
terraforming abilities will be conducted in this phase as well, which will be discussed in
the crew responsibilities section.
Outpost Location
The first launch is the determining factor in the outpost location. The two
locations being investigated are the location of the Viking 2 mission and the location of
the Phoenix mission. Both of these sites contain life-supporting qualities according to
previous experimentation.
Viking 2 Location (Wilson 2012)
Phoenix Location (Netting 2011)
The experiments performed in phase 1 will determine which site contains the most life-
supporting substances, the least amount of detrimental chemicals, and the least amount
of external extremities, such as temperature.
Crew Responsibilities

5. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 5
In this section, there will a discussion of the amount of astronauts needed for this
mission and the responsibilities of the crew throughout the course of the mission. In
order to have a successful mission, twenty astronauts will be needed, all of which must
be extremely qualified in their area of expertise. Their gender is not a factor, but the age
range will be between 30 and 45. There will be four tasks needed after the ship lands on
Mars: monitoring equipment, watching the overall health of the crew, building the
operational base, and conducting research. Monitoring equipment will be done by five of
the twenty astronauts and will be needed throughout the course of phase 3. This job
requires for the astronauts to carefully scrutinize to make sure that the ship is fully
functional at all times, as communicating back to the Mission Directorate and
maintaining stability while on Mars is very important for the success of this mission. The
three health monitors will help maintain both good mental and physical health of the
crew throughout the course of the mission. In order to maintain physical health, the
effects of microgravity must be taken fully into account. A daily exercise routine, correct
nutrition, and supplemental vitamins and minerals will help prevent the muscle atrophy
and bone density loss associated with microgravity. The remaining twelve astronauts
will be in charge of setting up the temporary base immediately after the ship lands. This
will allow the astronauts to get used to the Mars environment and begin to plan for their
research of Mars’ terraforming abilities. When the ship from the third phase lands on
Mars, these astronauts will begin to build the underground operational base, which will
include both living quarters and laboratories. After this is done, they will begin
conducting experiments on the terraforming abilities of Mars’ environment.
In order to test the terraforming theories, the astronauts will need to set up a mini
Mars environment. All four theories that were mentioned in the introduction will require
extensive accuracy and the use of rock, soil, and atmosphere samples. However, the
fourth theory, which is the release of the water in Mars’ polar ice caps, requires the use
of the ice samples. In order to set up an environment like Mars, the samples will need to
be mixed into an area where the only factor affecting their development is the idea
expressed in each of the four theories. If all goes well in the experiment, the theory that
yields the most similar environment to Earth, which includes the composition of the
resulting atmosphere, the resulting rock, and the resulting soil, and the quickest method
will provide the scientific community with information on what the best terraforming
theory is. This experiment is free from contaminants, as the experiment takes place in
Mars’ natural environment.
Mission Requirements
In order to create a successful mission, four main mission requirements are
obligatory. For one, the phases need to be launched at an opposition. This will minimize
the distance from Earth to Mars. Also, with the help of the health specialists, the crew
will need to continue to exercise in order to reverse the effects of microgravity. Also,
temporary bases will need to be set up immediately after the astronauts land on Mars.
The final mission requirement is communication with Mission Control. This is imperative,
as it gives the NASA specialists here on Earth an update on what is happening in the
mission and will give the ability for the NASA specialists to terminate the mission if a
serious threat is detected. This communication ability will ensure a safe and effective
mission.
Mission Elements

6. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 6
There are many mission elements needed to meet the mission requirements and
to carry out the crew requirements. In phase 1, two robotic ships carrying three robotic
rovers and vacuum-sealed cubicles will be required. In phase 2, two supply ships
containing the materials for building the temporary bases (inflatable habitats) with
radiation shielding, the operational base, and the items necessary for living on Mars.
These items include life support systems, sewage disposal systems, thermal control
system, portable exercise equipment, a viable food supply (which includes nutritious
food and clean water), and the materials needed to test out the four terraforming
theories. These items will certainly be relevant in phase 3 along with a ship containing
the twenty astronauts for the mission.
System Requirements
The system requirements will be discussed in accordance to each phase of the
mission. In phase 1, the ships must possess the ability to land on Mars and return to
Earth, and the rovers must be able to collect rock, soil, and ice samples. Also, this
phase of the mission requires the use of vacuum-sealed cubicles in order to keep the
samples unaltered on the journey back to Earth.
The technologies used in phase 2 are relevant to the goals of phase 3. The two
supply ships must, once again, have the ability to land on Mars according to strict
coordinates. The supplies inside all function for the same purpose: to aid in the
development of the operational base. The inflatable habitats with radiation shielding will
be used as temporary shelters for the astronauts while the operational base is being
built. The life support systems, the thermal control systems, and the sewage disposal
systems will be set up in the inflatable habitats, the ships, and the operational base. The
portable exercise equipment and the experimental materials will be located in the ship
until they can be transferred to the completed operational base. A food supply is
obviously necessary. Because all of the food for the entire mission cannot possibly be
transferred to Mars in two supply ships, a way to replenish the food supply is needed.
Thus, the simplest solution for this is a bioregenerative system. By growing plants under
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), a sufficient food and oxygen supply will be created. The
final technology needed for this mission is the ship in phase 3 that transports the crew
to Mars. This ship must contain life support systems, thermal control systems, sewage
disposal systems, food for a year for twenty astronauts, and portable exercise
equipment.
Mission Constraints
There are four main constraints in this mission that may hinder the success of the
mission. They are the large amount of funding required for this mission, the possible
contamination of the samples on the return phase or in the laboratory, the launching of
the mission before 2040 and the completion of the mission by 2045, and the inclusion of
a base with 10 to 40 people. The inclusion of a base with 10 to 40 people was
discussed in the crew responsibilities section.
In order to compensate for the large amount of funding needed for this mission, it
will be an international mission. In order to be fair, a board of managers will be
appointed, one from each country that is contributing to this project. This will give each
country a say in what will go on in this mission. This board will also make decisions on
funding and implementation of the mission. It would also determine if any proposed
course of action will violate space law, including the registration of launch vehicles in the

7. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 7
verification that the researches for the advancement of mankind rather than its
destruction.
The possibility of contaminating of the samples in phase 1 can be avoided
through the use of the best technology. In this mission, vacuum-sealed cubicles will be
utilized. This issue has arisen before in past NASA missions to Mars, such as Viking 1,
which is why it needs to be addressed in order for this mission to be successful (Wilson
2012).
The next constraint is the launching of the mission before 2040 and the
completion of the mission before 2045. Thus, a detailed description of the dates of the
mission should be given. The first phase of the mission will be launched so it lands
when Mars has a perihelion. A perihelion typically occurs in the month of January, and it
would take about six months to reach Mars assuming Mars is in or close to a perihelion.
Thus, the mission would be launched sometime in July. The next upcoming perihelion is
January 2018, so the launch date will be July 2017. When the ships reach Mars, the
rovers will collect samples for about six months and then return to Earth by January
2019. The experimentation to determine the outpost site and the development of the
necessary technology for the mission will occur. Because the next perihelion will not
occur until 26 months after the last one, the next phase of the mission will not launch
until after a perihelion has occurred. Though the experimentation should only take a
year or less, the scheduled launch date will not be until January 2022, so it lands when
Mars is in a perihelion in July 2022. This allots enough time for the preparation needed
for the mission. Phase 2 will be launched on the second week of January 2022 and
Phase 3 will be launched on the third week of January 2022. After the crew lands on
Mars, they must get right to work. The operational base should take no more than a
year and a half to complete, so the research facility should be ready to begin conducting
research on January 2024. The terraforming experiment will take time to set up,
conduct, and analyze. The set-up will take about 3 months, which means that the actual
experiment will not begin until May 2024. Because terraforming takes quite some time
to complete, the experiment will be a long process. However, this experiment should be
completed within seven years, which will be in May 2031. However, the astronauts need
to analyze the findings and get ready for the return trip back to Earth, which will take
about another two years, which means that the astronauts need to stay until May 2033.
Also, the launch needs to take place six months before a perihelion. Thus, the launch to
return back to Earth will occur on April 2033, so the landing date will be on the
perihelion of October 2033. This plan has the flexibility to be pushed back over a
decade if the NASA specialists feel that the technology is not developed enough.
Risks/Dangers
As with all NASA missions, there are many risks/dangers involved in this mission,
such as meteoroid impact, waste mitigation, obtaining breathable air, communication,
crew selection, dust, contamination and extreme thermal conditions. However, the ones
that affect astronauts the most on this mission are nutrition, microgravity, radiation, and
dust.
The first major issue that will be mentioned is nutrition, which is defined as the
selection of one’s diet. The major risks of a lack of nutrition in space travel are low
energy, weight loss, decreased metabolism, low vitamin levels, and oxidative
destruction. It had been proven through extensive research that astronauts average

8. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 8
energy intake is only 64% of the amount recommended with the exception of the crews
on the International Space Station (ISS), where they observed an intake of about 90%
of the anticipated requirements. Weight loss is a direct result of the lack of calorie
intake, and an astronaut’s metabolism is negatively affected by decreased hematocrit,
ferritin saturation, serum iron, and transferrin concentrations. Vitamin D deficiency is
constantly a concern for astronauts as well. This is caused by a number of things, but
the one that is most relevant to space is the lack of the intake of food that contains this
vitamin. The final risk of the lack of nutrition in space is an increased in oxidative
damage, which is an imbalance that is concerning the appearance of reactive oxygen
classes and a biological system’s ability to purify the reactive intermediates or to repair
the damage. This is caused by an increased “urinary 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine”
concentration and red blood cell “superoxide dismutase” (Smith and Zwart n.d.).
The next major issue is microgravity. Microgravity occurs when people or objects
appear to be weightless and float in mid-air. This phenomenon happens as a result of
free falling objects in a vacuum which is when all objects fall at the same rate despite
their mass. For example, the astronauts on the ISS are constantly falling toward Earth,
but since they are falling together, they appear to float in comparison to the spacecraft
(Dunbar 2013). The major health hazards associated with microgravity are muscle
deterioration and bone-density loss. Muscle loss is caused by the lack of a gravity
influence, which is a major factor in building muscle. Bone-density loss is associated
with the lack of proteins. Research has been conducted to show that certain proteins
from the cells exposed to microgravity were not found in those living in normal
conditions. The missing proteins were supposed to have antioxidant effects, which
would protect the body from DNA-damaging oxidants (Gaffney 2009).
The final major issue that will be addressed is radiation. Radiation is energy that
originates from a specific source and is able to penetrate through various mediums. The
major risks associated with radiation are skin damage in which can lead to cancer,
structural damage to DNA, and alteration of various cellular processes. These factors
can lead to an abundant amount of health risks. For one, Radiation Carcinogenesis
increases risks of various amounts of cancer, including skin cancer, and the
development of cataracts. Another health risk is Acute or Late Central Nervous System
Effects, which changes the motor function and behavior. These changes are associated
with neurological disorders (USRA 2014). These negative effects of radiation are
caused by the various damaging rays in space that are not prevalent here on Earth.
These are high-energy, heavy ions, which are much more dangerous than those found
on Earth, which are gamma rays, x-rays, and ultraviolet rays (Bevill 2014).
Dust is highly prevalent on the surface of Mars, as the landing and the launching
of ships to and from Mars cause the creation of dust clouds. This could jeopardize both
the sight of the crew, and the amount of breathable air available to the crew, which
could lead to major problems, such as failure in proper experimentation.
Thus, in order to have a successful mission, these issues must be taken into
account. For nutrition, the most obvious solution is to create and follow a balanced diet
plan. Astronauts tend to not eat as much in space and have calcium, vitamin D, iron,
folate, and water deprivation. All of this needs to be taken into account when creating a
balanced diet. For microgravity, the most obvious solution is creating and sticking to a
strict exercise routine that burns adequate calories the quickest, as astronauts should

9. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE 9
not devote hours and hours to exercise; they need to focus on the mission at hand and
communicating to mission control. The most prevalent solution to the radiation problem
is the development of superior shielding techniques both in the spacecraft and on the
astronauts’ suits. This will prevent the effects of radiation for both the in-transit issue
and the surface stay issue. In order to prevent the effects of dust for this mission, the
main mission base, which will be built in phase 3, will be underground, and there will be
plenty of supply of clean air.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this mission will prove very beneficial for the scientific community,
as it will expand on the exploration for life on Mars. By acquiring knowledge about
terraforming Mars, scientists not only learn about how to make Mars a suitable planet to
live on in the future and creating a space colony, it will develop ideas that could be
applied to our own planet in order to reverse negative environmental effects that could
lead to the destruction of Earth. The successful implementation of this mission requires
a carefully defined mission statement, con-ops, and scope and prevention for all safety
risks. If this is accomplished, this mission will meet its full potential and will highly
benefit our scientific society.

10. A MISSION TO CREATE A MARS BASE
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Works Cited
Bevill, Terrie. (2014 March 5). Why is space radiation an important concern for human
spaceflight?. Space Radiation Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. Retrieved
from http://srag-nt.jsc.nasa.gov/SpaceRadiation/Why/Why.cfm
Bonsor, Kevin. (n.d.). How Terraforming Mars Will Work. How Stuff Works. Retrieved
from http://science.howstuffworks.com/terraforming2.htm
Dunbar, Brian. (2013 September 6). What Is Microgravity?. NASA.gov. Retrieved from
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/what-is-microgravity-
58.html
Gaffney, D. (2009 September 30). Micro-gravity: a health hazard for astronauts.
UNSW.edu. Retrieved from http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/news/micro-gravity-
health-hazard-astronauts-research
Netting, Ruth. (2011 April 6). Mars is melting. NASA: Science News. Retrieved from
http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2003/07aug_southpole/
Perez, Martin. (2013 September 30). Phoenix Mars Lander. NASA. Retrieved from
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/
Smith, S., and Zwart, S. (n.d.). Nutrition issues for space exploration. NTRS.NASA.
Retrieved from
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20060049121.pdf
USRA. (2014). About Space Radiation. NASA Space Radiation. Retrieved from
http://spaceradiation.usra.edu/about/

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Wilson, Jim. (2012 June 18). Viking. Mission to Mars. Retrieved from
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/viking/