What must the portion of the initial cargo payload designated for support equipment contain, besides habitats?

Answer

Enough redundant, mission-critical manufacturing equipment.

Establishing a colony requires an infrastructural payload that goes far beyond just living quarters. For the first hundred settlers, the initial cargo dependency ratio is extremely high. If half the payload covers habitats and life support, the remaining mass must serve a dual purpose: supporting the current settlers and enabling expansion and survival until local production kicks in. This means the non-habitat cargo must contain sufficient redundant machinery necessary for fundamental tasks like mining water, building subsequent habitats, refining materials, and crucially, possessing the manufacturing capability to repair equipment that inevitably breaks down.

What must the portion of the initial cargo payload designated for support equipment contain, besides habitats?

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