2 ms·

Not quite. The missing tech is, I think, in the area of manufacturing. The settlers would have to unpack and boot up a complete industrial infrastructure since

• phlux 16y ago
  It would be interesting to pre-ship a bunch of supplies to mars. Start the process like this: Figure out a plan to build a base and sustain life. Build the systems and devices to executre that plan Start sending this equipment to mars. Train your team. Cycle through plan. Eventually you send your team(s) and they start using equipment. Bonus if the equipment you send is autonomous and can start building before your team arrives.
• InclinedPlane 16y ago
  A martian colony need not have an Earth-equivalent industrial base immediately. Imagining that it should is merely self-limiting. At one level a martian colony needs only enough of an industrial base to survive given continued trade with Earth. Longer term it likely needs enough of an industrial base to be self-sufficient indefinitely. However, this level of technology and industry could be considerably far behind the state of the art on Earth or very much lacking in a great many categories. It's not necessary to replicate a 21st century Earth on Mars in order for a colony to be feasible.