MARS BASE
COMPETITION OVERVIEW
The Mars Base 2040 competition challenges teams to develop a comprehensive concept for starting and expanding a sustainable Mars habitat. The goal is to provide a vision for how humanity can establish a permanent presence on Mars, initially supporting 4-8 astronauts by 2040 and gradually expanding the base to accommodate 50 people by 2060. Teams must not only choose a location and design the base but also present the roadmap and technologies they would employ to start and grow the settlement. The focus is on providing a clear, feasible mission plan, from the first habitat to long-term base development, with a particular emphasis on the choice of technologies and strategies to achieve self-sufficiency.
REGISTRATION
The registration window for the Mars Base Challenge will remain open from October 16 to December 16, 2024. For queries – contact@roverchallenge.org
Report Submission
11:59 PM (IST) January 5, 2025
Final
12 PM (IST), February 2, 2025
KEY REQUIREMENTS
• The main objective of this competition is to present a comprehensive mission concept: how to start and develop a Mars habitat and outline the direction for its growth.
• Teams should provide a roadmap that includes how the first habitat will be built, what technologies will be used, and how the base will evolve into a larger settlement.
• Emphasize technological choices for habitat construction, life support systems, energy generation, and other key infrastructure that will support sustainable growth and settlement on Mars.
Teams must choose a specific location on Mars for their base.
• Provide scientific justification for the location, such as access to essential resources (e.g., water ice, solar energy, minerals) and environmental suitability for long-term human habitation.
• Explain how this site will enable future growth and activities, supporting up to 50 people by 2060.
Define three key goals for the base that will drive its activities. These could include areas like scientific research, resource extraction, or preparing for further space exploration.
• Describe the activities planned to achieve these goals, explaining how they will contribute to long-term sustainability, survival, and the eventual expansion of human presence on Mars.
Design and present a construction plan for the first habitat, which will support 4-8 astronauts by 2040.
• Address key elements such as habitat construction materials, life support systems (oxygen, water, food production), radiation protection, energy supply, and crew safety.
• Outline the steps for transporting materials and crew to Mars, including how to minimize resupply needs from Earth during this initial phase.
• Provide a roadmap for expanding the base from its initial 4-8 person habitat to a fully functioning village capable of sustaining 50 people by 2060.
• Present a final design of the expanded base, including infrastructure for housing, energy production, food systems, scientific labs, and other essential facilities.
• Describe how each phase of development contributes to the self-sufficiency and scalability of the settlement over time.
• Identify areas in which the base will be self-sufficient or highly efficient by 2060, such as energy production, water recycling, and food production.
• Highlight areas where regular resupply missions from Earth will still be necessary, such as specialized equipment, certain medical supplies, or other critical materials.
• Provide a strategy for reducing Earth dependency over time, aiming for maximum efficiency and sustainability.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- Report Length: Teams are required to submit a report of no more than 25 pages (A4 format).
- Font and Readability: The choice of font is up to the teams, but it should be clear and easy for judges to read.
- Visual Aids: Schemes, diagrams, and illustrations that help explain the design and ideas are encouraged. Visualizations of the base are welcome but not mandatory.
- Captions: All pictures, diagrams, and visualizations must be properly captioned for clarity.
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Report Structure: To make the report easy to read, it is recommended that teams structure their submission in four parts, aligned with the competition’s scoring categories:
1. Scientific Value and Base Purpose/Activities
2. First Habitat Design (2040)
3. Roadmap for Expansion to Support 50 People (2060)
4. Self-Sufficiency and Earth Resupply
SCORING CRITERIA
• Strength of the scientific justification for the chosen location on Mars.
• Clarity and feasibility of the base’s key goals and planned activities.
• How well does the plan align with long-term Mars colonization and exploration.
• Quality and feasibility of the design and construction plan for the initial habitat.
• Effectiveness in addressing life support, crew safety, and sustainability for the initial 4-8 astronauts.
• Innovation in using available resources on Mars and minimizing Earth's resupply for this phase.
• Clarity and feasibility of the roadmap to expand the base to 50 inhabitants by 2060.
• How well the development plan ensures scalability, sustainability, and safety.
• Completeness and innovation in the final design of the fully developed base, including infrastructure, life support, and energy systems.
• Detailed assessment of areas where the base will achieve self-sufficiency (e.g., energy, water, food).
• Clearly identify areas where resupply from Earth is still necessary and how these needs will be minimized over time.
• Practical and innovative strategies for achieving greater self-sufficiency and efficiency throughout the base’s development.
DELIVERABLES
- Mission Concept and Roadmap: Detailed explanation of the mission plan, from the initial habitat to long-term base development, including chosen technologies and construction strategies.
- Base Location and Purpose: Explanation of the chosen location, key goals, and activities planned to achieve these goals.
- First Habitat Design (2040): Detailed design and construction plan for the habitat for 4-8 astronauts.
- Roadmap for Expansion (2060): Phased plan and final design for expanding the base to a village of 50 people.
- Self-Sufficiency Strategy: Description of which systems will be self-sufficient and which will require Earth resupply, with strategies for reducing dependency over time.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Teams will be evaluated on their ability to combine scientific purpose with practical engineering solutions, the innovation in their habitat design, their vision for self-sufficiency, and their comprehensive plan for gradually expanding the Mars base into a thriving village by 2060.