Nexus Aurora was the 1st place winner of the Mars City State Design Contest held by The Mars Society.
This project united people from all over the world to create Nexus Aurora in 2020.
To cut free the shackles of our limited capacity for thought and drive humanity towards a shining future, where unhindered technological progress is coupled with considerate, human-centric design: this is our optimistic vision of societal progress – this is the grand goal of Nexus Aurora. The plans for a Martian colonization program with a flourishing colony of one million people by the year 2100 encapsulate this vision. It is our garden city, replete with open vaulted spaces, natural light, and a strong sense of community.
In order to build a city of one million, we must do more than simply subsist off the land. We must harness Martian resources to establish an industrial base that can rival terrestrial nations.
This endeavor encompasses quarries, algae photoreactors, farms, and atmospheric compressors, all providing feedstock to vast rolling mills, additive manufacturing systems, and chemical reactors—all of which are powered by Martian-made nuclear reactors.
Our building designs must adapt to withstand the pressure, radiation, and temperature extremes of the Martian surface, while simultaneously fostering happiness and fulfillment among the inhabitants by providing spacious, light-filled communal areas. We categorically reject the concept of cities built exclusively underground or in tunnels. Nexus Aurora envisions wide boulevards and urban parks made possible with pressure vessels constructed from basalt-fiber-reinforced plastics (BFRP), utilizing the potent radiation-shielding properties of water to safeguard our residents.
Developing such a city would be a costly endeavor, as it would require the transportation of a substantial amount of industrial equipment (and a significant number of people) from Earth. As with any financially substantial undertaking, Nexus Aurora acknowledges that profitability will not be realized in its initial decades. Therefore, a meticulously planned economy must strike a balance between income generated from tourism, exports of construction materials, and services provided to other Mars colonies, all while mitigating the continual high cost of imports. A democratic government will ensure stability and freedom for the population.
Nexus Aurora is not aligned with any single nation or organization. Instead, it draws upon the spaceflight legacy of NASA and ESA, the technical expertise of SpaceX and Mitsubishi, and the industrial capabilities of Germany and Japan. By opening up both the expanse of space itself and the realm of design for our future within it, we aspire to embolden humanity to transcend our current limitations.
Mars Society Convention 2020 presentation
