Mars Ice Home base. Illustration of a base on Mars demonstrating the Mars Ice Home concept, a large inflatable torus surrounded by a shell of water ice. A manned base on Mars could be constructed from prefabricated sections brought from Earth or from materials manufactured using resources found on Mars. Such bases are necessary because the Martian environment is inhospitable for human explorers. The pressure of the atmosphere is less than one percent of Earth's. Mars is a rocky desert world with no surface water. The atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide and surface temperatures are well below freezing. In the background is a radio antenna being used to communicate with Earth and spacecraft in Mars orbit. A manned rover (centre right) is being used for surface travel.