Reading about the south pole to predict what the 1st colony on Mars would be like is depressing. The 1st antarctic station was buried in snow & they lived underground. The most recent one is a giant building on stilts, reflecting the economic high point of 2000. They only get 2 sponge baths per week & no fresh food for 8 months per year. Supply trips are limited to the summer. All the energy to melt snow into water comes from burning jet fuel which is flown in.


The early Mars colony would probably be underground & similarly constrained. The problems would extend to supply trips every 2 years, the need to recycle all air & water. They would have slightly warmer temperatures & no snow drifts. Annual solar energy is probably comparable, but lack of snow would make solar panels more practical.  Solar panels might be a huge win, concentrating sunlight for growing fresh food, freeing up supply trips for something besides fuel, but most of the energy budget would have to go to refueling the BFR.  Water wouldn't be as easy as melting ice, but would have to be mined.


It took 50 years of annual supply trips to get the antarctica colony to its current state. Making Mars reasonably bearable would take much longer.




The 1st south pole station when it was built & still above ground.

http://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/igy1/igy1.html


The 1st station after 15 years & deep under the snow.

http://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/igy2/igy2.html



The current station.  

https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_images.jsp?cntn_id=110961&org=NSF






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