Ayşe Meriç Yazıcı

Dr. Ayşe Meriç Yazıcı is a Visiting Scholar at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science (BMSIS). She is currently carrying out post doc studies at the department of philosophy in Lund University. Besides her academic career, she has been working in the fields of biomimicry, space economy, space technologies and astrobiology.

Issue: 11:1 (The forty first issue)

With the end of the Cold War, political and ideological competition has decreased as a stated reason for space exploration. The possibility of establishing a settlement on Mars is being seriously evaluated by state and commercial space agencies, which includes objectives to expand human civilization and ensure the continuity of the human species. The technological challenges associated with space settlement continue to receive significant attention, but the success of space settlement will also depend on other human factors. This study presents a high-level overview of some potential issues that could arise with the development of a permanent populationand a space economyon Mars. This study highlights some of the anticipated problems of overnance, trade, production, and proliferation that will need pragmatic solutions to ensure the sustainability of a martian settlement. This paper is intended to instigate further discussion and research regarding human and economic factors that could enable or constrain future settlements on Mars.