Project Boreas

Project Boreas was a study conducted between 2003 and 2006 by the British Interplanetary Society to design a station on the Planum Boreum at the Martian North Pole. The project was international, involving over 25 scientists and engineers, co-ordinated by Charles S. Cockell. Pole Station was designed to operate for three summers and two polar winters. Amongst a diversity of scientific objectives the station occupants were to retrieve a deep core from within the Martian polar ice cap. Expeditions were planned to numerous locations across the Martian north polar cap, including the Chasma Boreale and the polar layered terrains. The study involved wide ranging investigations of the scientific priorities for a human presence at the Martian polar ice caps through to detailed architectural and design studies for the station. Studies were undertaken on mobility and communications and psycho-social issues for long-term operation at the Martian polar station.

Project Boreas was named for the Greek god of the North Wind. Concepts for polar bases had been discussed in earlier papers The station was designed with the assumption that it would be occupied by 10 people. Although the station could be constructed at any time, the study used a timeframe of 2037 to 2042 to provide a backdrop for the design. It is likely that in the coming decades robots will explore the Martian polar caps, which were first observed by Italian astronomer, Giovanni Cassini in 1666. Project Boreas considered long-term human polar exploration on Mars.

The crew of the station were envisaged to carry out diverse scientific studies in geology, geophysics, climatology and astrobiology. One particular advantage of humans was perceived to be their ability to run a laboratory in which complex and analytical tasks can be undertaken in polar science and exploration. The design study considered that the retrieval of a core into the polar ice cap would be one of the primary objectives of Pole Station. The core would be used to study past geological and climatological changes, including dating past Martian dust storms. The core would also be used to investigate the nature of the polar layered terrains and associated questions of past and present habitability of Martian polar ices. The occupants also had diverse climatology objectives to undertake. The study considered Martian polar astronomy to be a potentially useful additional activity for the station crew members.

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