Alcoves as Havens From a Harsh Martian Environment

Abstract

Future missions to Mars will undoubtedly be directed toward sedimentary terrains in search for evidence of past life and geologic history. Astronauts will need to find shelter from harsh surface conditions. Natural underground voids provide a readily adaptable habitat for crews to shelter from radiation. Naturally formed caves would be desirable habitat sites, but thick deposits of limestone or other soluble rocks in which karst topography would form have not been identified by current observations. Alcoves, arched recess in steep escarpments, should be widely distributed across the planet and provide an adaptable shelter for astronauts operating on the surface of Mars. Alcoves provide a more stable thermal environment, a reduced radiation environment, shielding from macro- and micro-meteorite impacts, and protection from atmospheric disturbances.