Nagging thoughts

It takes months to get supplies to mars. What if we overlook something? It could lead to tragedy.

Suppose their is a vitamin deficiency? Could we send supplies fast enough in that case?

The Mars One project intends to send a couple of Red Dragons equipped with life support systems developed by Paragon. If one breaks they would have one backup, but that's obviously a weak link. Life support should not depend on something only the earth can supply. It should be something the colonists could make for themselves. Sure they might have supplies and training to repair the Paragon equipment, but that's not good enough.

They need to be able to control the temperature of their habitats. The design doesn't have to be pretty, but it has to be something they could build themselves.

They need to be able to maintain an oxygen/nitrogen (and perhaps argon) atmosphere. The air must circulate so whatever is scrubbing the carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases will get to it. They can build their own electric motors which is all you really need for a fan. Scrubbing the air itself is a chemical process.

The control mechanisms have to be simple and robust. For temperature control it might just be a manual reset for comfort. It become too hot or cold while sleeping which wakes you up. Other control systems need to work where human senses are not enough to track the situation.

Other things that make life worth living... eggs. Sending chickens shouldn't be too difficult and provides a meat. Milk and honey? Bees shouldn't be too difficult either. Milk could be a problem. Dry milk will probably be an expensive import for a while. Can you make cheese from dry milk? I suppose you could. Dairy cows or goats will eventually find their way to mars. I can imagine pregnant cows delivering just before mars orbit. They send the new born calves to the surface but only the processed meat of the cows. Hmmm... a red dragon refrigerator? That will be an interesting transit for the butchers/ranchers.

They will have gardens with a diversity of plants for various uses. Seeds seem a perfect design for space travel. These are the things I think about in bed at two in the morning.