Project Ares: Establishing a Sustainable Hemp-Based Ecosystem on Mars Executive Summary: Project Ares proposes the establishment of a self-sustaining ecosystem on Mars centered around the cultivation and utilization of industrial hemp. Leveraging advanced technologies in aeroponics, controlled environment agriculture, and materials science, this project aims to create a closed-loop system for resource utilization, energy generation and storage, and habitat construction, significantly contributing to the long-term viability of human presence on Mars. Introduction: Establishing a permanent human presence on Mars requires innovative solutions for resource utilization, energy production, and habitat construction. 1 Transporting vast quantities of materials from Earth is prohibitively expensive and logistically complex. Project Ares addresses these challenges by cultivating industrial hemp on Mars, utilizing its diverse properties to create building materials, energy storage devices, and p...