Feasibility of a Martian biosphere

Determine whether Mars can support a sustained biosphere capable of supporting large numbers of people, considering constraints such as present-day temperature, water availability, soil chemistry (e.g., perchlorates and salts), and atmospheric composition, and quantify the environmental modifications required to make this possible.

Background

The roadmap notes that a Martian biosphere would underpin long-term human presence by supporting food and oxygen production, but Mars is currently too cold and dry, with chemically challenging soils and a thin atmosphere. The authors emphasize that surface warming sufficient for liquid water is necessary but not sufficient for establishing a biosphere.

This high-level scientific uncertainty motivates the proposed research portfolio, which seeks to assess both local and regional-to-global warming and their interactions with biology, resources, and climate feedbacks.