Muscle

Today, two Russian Cosmonauts have been undertaking the 169th construction and maintenance spacewalk at the international space station. Quite a record for the machinery of the human body. And that reminds us that our own bodies remain the ultimate in all-purpose machines. Indeed they are likely to stay so for a very long time to come. I do hope that planners of a Mars colony keep this fact at the centre of their research and development priorities. There is going to be a case for a huge range of machinery and tools to aid the construction and running of a colony. In the initial phases, it is going to be crucial to minimise development costs. If a human can do something with a relatively simple tool, even if it requires significant man hours and acceptance of some inefficiency compared with an expensively developed machine for a narrow purpose; then take the human option wherever possible. Both development and massive transport costs may be savable and an earlier start date for settlement will be more likely. For example, NASA has been involved in experimental work on a pressurised Mars land vehicle. Such a vehicle would permit exploratory journeys and surface research at considerable distances from a colony. If one's principal aim is geological and other scientific work then a 'Mars car' would be invaluable. In the longer term, there is a strong case for building a vehicle of the kind. But if we want to afford an early start on building up a colony as our first priority (still allowing for some sample collection and exploration) then development of a much more low tech transport, maybe a kind of martian mountain bike for relatively near at hand excursions, would make greater sense. The low gravity of Mars could make such a vehicle particularly efficient and flexible.

Spades, shovels, picks and drills, have proved pretty effective in building work down the centuries. Of course, earth moving machinery makes modern construction faster and more efficient. But developing earth movers for the martian environment and transporting such very heavy machinery would be vastly expensive. And human muscle will be available on Mars from a colony's inception. Hard physical work is not degrading. Indeed physical labour is often conducive to good mental health. The enclosed and over-intimate environment of a small colony will bring many psychological stresses, and the reality of construction work is likely to prove helpfully therapeutic.

Am I suggesting turning the dream of settling Mars into some kind of labour colony? Of course not. Mechanical  labour saving devices should be imported as soon as both their development and transport can be afforded. But let us use every ounce of leverage we can from the physical advantages that evolution has given us!