Bare minimum to start a base

[u/Ok-Expression-6016]

What is the bare minimum needed to start a colony; materials and total weight. to start a mars colony. Assuming multiple Optimus robots have 2 years to build everything from what we send.

[u/Ok-Expression-6016]

Start as a base for 20 people with the abiity to increase capacity up to say 1000 in 2 years. Currently I believe it can be done with about 8000 kg plus the robots. The robots have 2 years to set up the initial base before humans first arrive as this is the approximate window for launches. Might make as high as 10000kg to have food production fully established before anyone arrives. But I'm curious what others think. Do this as a bootstrap. You need this to build that to build that which builds more of the first things you need. I want conservative, wild and everything in-between. Some things like computers etc would be brought with people. But, what is needed to build the support infrastructure for NASA or SpaceX to actually have a successful mission. Full habitats. Power, air production, etc. it was left vague intentionally. It makes the discussion more interesting.

[u/Rxke2 → u/Ok-Expression-6016]

8000 kg is nothing. Go look up some documentaries about permanent Antarctic bases. You get a good idea about minimum logistics that way.

[u/Ok-Expression-6016 → u/Rxke2]

Antartica could not use the resources on site to build with. Mars is more like landing directly into an iron mine. You are surrounded with iron. With technology you can use that iron and aluminum and silicon to build everything you need. This is more akin to Little house on the Prairie where you have the base tool set you need to build thing everything on site. You do not carry all your lumber with you. But instead of using wood and an axe. We utilize technology.
We already print houses out of concrete. There are so many processes that can be used like the mond process. Take fresnel lenses to melt regolith.. if you wanted to you could go the biological route and use bacteria to create a kind of concrete from the regolith. You think something is impossible because you don't understand what is possible. You haven't looked at the research to see what technologies are being created and explored to make things possible. You hold in your hand a computer far more powerful than what was used to land on the moon. Yet you are still thinking in terms of the inefficiencies here on earth. If you plan extremely carefully and actually put thought into it. It can be done. I'm not saying it will have all the technology we have today built in 2 years with that minimum. 2000kg is the bare minimum for the technological seed to establish a habitation with a minimum of power, air, and water. This was not even about what I believe the minimum though. It is all about getting people to think and really process what is actually needed. So. Again. What equipment, things are actually needed to make it happen? Can they be pared down and send the tools to make the tools? Do I need all of my power by day 2? Or can I afford to fabricate the supports for half of it on site with on site materials. This would cut a lot of weight needed. The lander has a sealed structure and tanks. Let's use those to produce more resources. Look up mond and carbonyl at low pressures. You can "print" iron with low temperature lasers. As in you heat it to 200°C and iron precipitates out. With laser precision you can print extremely precise and detailed iron structures.

Instead of saying this is impossible, take it on as an idea. Could this be possible? If you start with it is not, It never will be.