ENERGY

ENERGY storage facilities, solar panels, nuclear reactors / nuclear-power fission systems as a base-line source power that is not affected by the dust storms, power storage systems (batteries, storing power for the night time plus during global dust storms, when the temperature drops and reduced sunlight reaches the surface)

Wired systems might lay the groundwork for early crewed landings and basesm by producing various consumables including fuel, oxidisers, water and construction materials. Estabishing power, communications, shelter, heating and manufacturing basics can begin with robotic systems, if only as a prelude to crewed operations. Number of robotic cargo missions would be undertaken first in order to transport the requisite equipment, habitats and supplies.Equipment that would be necessary would include "machines to produce fertiliser, methane and oxygen from Mars' atmospheric nitrogen and carbon dioxide and the planet's subsurface water ice" as well as construction materials to build transparent domes for initial agricultural areas.

One source of Martian ore currently known to be available is metallic iron in the form of nickel–iron meteorites. Iron in this form is more easily extracted than from the iron oxides that cover the planet.

Solar insolation (the amount of solar radiation that reaches Mars) is about 42% of that on Earth, since Mars is about 52% farther from the Sun and insolation falls off as the square of distance. But the thin atmosphere would allow almost all of that energy to reach the surface as compared to Earth, where the atmosphere absorbs roughly a quarter of the solar radiation. Sunlight on the surface of Mars would be much like a moderately cloudy day on Earth