The recently concluded Mars City Design competition won the engineers who presented the jury with the prototype of the future housing for the colonization of the Red Planet. The competition was organized with the assistance of the European Space Agency and the US Space Exploration Committee.
The winners' project was named Redwood Forest. The dwelling has a domed shape, the connection between which is carried out by a network of tunnels that resemble tree roots, which is why the project got its name.
The tunnels are supposed to be laid in the soil of Mars, under the surface; they should connect rest and work units and lead to vehicle locations. The design reliably protects colonists from radiation penetration, as well as from meteor strikes and sudden temperature fluctuations.
The dome has a capacity of 50 astronauts. The authors of the projects are going to construct about 200 "Martian" houses, so that in the future it will be possible to send about 10,000 people to Mars.
Features of the project - imitation in each dome of the natural environment for humans. According to Valentin Sumini, who participates in the implementation of the Redwood Forest project, the city built with the help of their houses on the Martian surface should imitate an earthly forest close to everyone, where the main components are water and ice, soil and sun. The design should show what would be the natural conquest of the planet by the forces of nature. Sumini also said that each dome can have its own, individual structure and design, depending on the purpose of the room.
In an interview, George Lordos noted the extreme importance of water in the process of colonizing Mars. According to him, each individual structure, which are domed houses, will receive energy from the sun's rays, transforming it into water through complex technological processes. The resulting water will fill the special cells provided in the dome structure, ensuring reliable protection of its inhabitants from the effects of radiation. Also, the water is intended to maintain a favorable microclimate and the functioning of hydroponic farms, which will be used by humans for breeding fish and plants. Water is equally important for fuel, battery charging and oxygen production.
Employees at the University of Massachusetts believe that their brainchild can be used on our planet, for example, to create human-friendly settlements in deserts or on the seabed. An extensive underground network can be an excellent tool for reducing traffic congestion in multi-million cities.