An Astrosociological Approach to Defining Indigenous Martian Architecture

Abstract

This paper takes social scientific structural, evolutionary, and ecological perspectives on the adaptive architectural expressions of colonizing Mars. It is best read as a companion piece to "The Globalization of Space-The Astrosociological Approach" by the secondary and tertiary authors. This treatment assumes that humans are able to begin a Humans-to-Mars effort before the challenges and costs of global warming on Earth shut the door to long-duration space exploration. In fact, it assumes that an evolution of technological and social innovations emerge by meeting the challenges to the human species heralded by the dawning of the next historical geological/environmental epoch of the Earth. The authors review the anticipated milestones of this evolutionary lineage that transforms capital and the technological means of production and that enables the expansion of the human ecology on a greater scale. This evolution is essential and is the design driver of sustainable human settlements on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Three distinct phases of human architecture on Mars are anticipated. The authors have embedded these over a timeline of exploration featuring a sequence of eight time intervals. The first Mars architectural phase involves responding to various physiological, sociological, and psychological factors expected to affect crew functionality over long durations away from Earth. Constructed from imported technologies, combining some easily processed in situ materials and delivered payload, the shelter is expected to adjust to the explorer's needs, well beyond the capabilities of a rigid habitat launched to a foreign body for a "flags and footprints" expedition. The second phase of Martian architecture meets the needs of the earliest scientific and mining missions to Mars. It is a transitory phase offering a viable shift from the temporary kluge between in situ and delivered payload materials to a more livable human settlement of the Red Planet. This will involve the cannibalization of earlier structures and the higher-level manufacture of other materials from in situ elements. The third phase is the primary use of manufactured materials from native elements in living and working spaces on Mars. Human history provides architectural parallels.

Forecasting the Political Economy of the Inner Solar System

“…In speculating about political, social, economic, and technological events stepping to sustainable Mars settlement over time, the authors and Adam Aaron Wapniak thought that the third wave of mission newbies to the red planet would bring an influx of new ideas and, in turn, be a captive market of buyers for the Martian longtimers' goods and services as they establish themselves on-planet. 39 We will elaborate on the three potential generations of Mars missions below. The Dynamics of the Multi-Planet Economy…”