Mars

Enviroment

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of Mars is less than 1% of Earth’s, so it does not protect the planet from the Sun’s radiation nor does it do much to retain heat at the surface.

It consists of 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, and the remainder is trace amounts of oxygen, water vapor, and other

Industry

Bootstrapping the Industrial Age

Smelting

• Can it be done with no atmosphere?
• What happens to vapours is there is no atmosphere?
• Mars is cold. Would making a heated bunker be enough? Thermal Insulation?

Electric Motors

• Require Conductive.
• Insulation.
• Wire winding.
• Electricity
• Could generate electricity too, Not much atmosphere but giant wind turbines? Human power? Humans require more food.

Wire Windings

What Is the Most Conductive Element?

1 silver 2 copper 3 gold 4 aluminum 5 zinc 6 nickel 7 brass 8 bronze 9 iron 10 platinum 11 carbon steel 12 lead 13 stainless steel

Copper Vs. Aluminium Windings in Motors - Aluminium oxidixes so the connections must pierces the alunimum and be pressurised to stop oxygen getting it. How would very low levels of oxygen in Mars Atmosphere effect this? aluminium requires more turns and/or a larger diameter wire, may not be economically feasible (lower efficiency).

Auto industry looking to Copper Alliance as alternative to rare earth materials - EVs uses rare earth metals. Are they on Mars? Tesla mentioned.

Carbon Nanotube Yarns Could Replace Copper Windings in Electric Motors - Carbon seems unlikely on Mars... Unless extracted from the atmosphere.

If Silver is the most conductive element, why don't we use it in electronics as opposed to Copper and Gold? - Silver best conductor, but expensive and oxidises easily, making it unsuitable for uses where it's exposed to oxygen or large amounts are required. Gold doesn't oxidise*, but is expensive, which is why it's often used as a coating for electronic connections like HDMI cables.

Insulators

• Most need organics found on Earth.
  • rubber, pure water, oil, air, diamond, dry wood, dry cotton, plastic, asphalt

• Others are inflexible but might work
  • glass - could be made from sand.
  • ceramic - what is cermaic made from anyway.
  • quartz - Seems like there is lots of mineral on mars.

What happens if you crush rocks into powder and heat them?

Geology

Ore resources on Mars