Mars, 2009 Prospective Energy and Material Resources

th th Mars, the Red Planet, fourth planet from the Sun, forever linked with 19 and 20 Century fantasy of a bellicose, intelligent Martian civilization. The romance and excitement of that fiction remains today, even as technologically sophisticated - botic orbiters, landers, and rovers seek to unveil Mars? secrets; but so far, they have yet to find evidence of life. The aura of excitement, though, is justified for another reason: Mars is a very special place. It is the only planetary surface in the Solar System where humans, once free from the bounds of Earth, might hope to establish habitable, self-sufficient colonies. Endowed with an insatiable drive, focused motivation, and a keen sense of - ploration and adventure, humans will undergo the extremes of physical hardship and danger to push the envelope, to do what has not yet been done. Because of their very nature, there is little doubt that humans will in fact conquer Mars. But even earth-bound extremes, such those experienced by the early polar explorers, may seem like a walk in the park compared to future experiences on Mars.

1.- Power System Options for Mars Surface Exploration: Past, Present and Future.- 2.- Available Solar Energy and Weather Forecasting on Mars Surface.- 3.- Weather Influence on PV Solar Cells Operation on Mars.- 4.- Electric Power Generation on Mars Using Photovoltaic Helium Balloons.- 5.- Weather Influence on Solar Thermal Power Plants Operation on Mars.- 6.- Fuel Cell Power System Options for Mars Surface Mission Elements.- 7.- The Evolution of Nuclear Power Generation for Mars.- 8.- Distributed Power Sources for Mars.- 9.- Advanced Nuclear Compact Structures for Power Generation on Mars.- 10.- New Solutions for Nuclear Energy and Flights on Mars.- 11.- Geothermal Energy on Mars.- 12.- Comparative Analysis of Power System Architectures: The Case of Human Mars Surface Missions.- 13.- Economics of Energy on Mars.- 14.- Tumbleweed: A New Paradigm for Surveying the Surface of Mars for In-situ Resources.- 15.- Drilling and Excavation for Construction and In-Situ Resource Utilization.- 16.- In Situ Utilization of Indigenous Resources.- 17.- Available Resources and Energy Sources from Mars Rock and Soil.- 18.- On-Site Resources Availability for Space Agriculture on Mars.- 19.- Utilization of Regolith for Manufacturing Construction Material on Mars.- 20.- Perspectives on the Utilization of Martian Iron and Carbon Dioxide.- 21.- Mars Aqueous Processing System.- 22.- Fundamentals of Human Physical Growth on Mars.- 23.- Artificial Environments on Mars.- 24.- Self-sustaining Martian Colonies Utilizing the North Polar Ice Cap and the Atmosphere.- 25.- Mars Climate Engineering Using Orbiting Solar Reflectors.- 26.- Ecopoiesis and Liquid Water Transportation on Mars.

Covers all the aspects of possible means of energy and resources utilization on the Mars surface Comes right in time for the planning of the manned Mars expedition Provides up-to-date answers to the important question: Will Mars, like Earth today, become a Spaceship for humans too? All authors are experienced well-known researchers, enjoying worldwide fame as physicists and engineers involved in energy and resources utilization on the surface of Mars