It is hoped that no one will need to use this hatch until they set foot on Mars, or to use any of the hatches, for that matter. There are a couple of good reasons: (1) a space walk would mean something has probably been damaged and must be repaired; (2) each suit weighs nearly 45 kg and is cumbersome, making climbing the ladder and maneuvering through the hatch a chore to be avoided. Due to the reduced gravity on the planet’s surface, the suit will weigh less than 17 kg and can be easily maneuvered. At that point, any one of the crew will gladly scale the ladder to hoist their two flags.
The two flag display is a unique combo. First, the tri-color Martian flag, with ‘its colors of red, green, and blue as the primary components of light, and thus symbolizing light, enlightenment, and reason’, wrote Dr. Robert Zubrin, as well as its association with the Kim Stanley Robinson epic future trilogy, Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars. Second, the American flag representing their homeland. In reverse of their standard order on Earth, the Martian flag will rise first and take the top spot. One day on the red planet, the flags of each newly emerging nation shall be flown in honor of their perspective immigrants.
The galley is situated in the ladder-well on the middle deck (berthing deck), which at first might seem like an odd place, the location was actually well thought out. With the ten-foot diameter ladder-well performing secondary duty as a solar flare shelter, a few minutes advance warning allows the entire crew to gather and be protected from the harmful radiation of a major solar flare. On average, flares occurring about once per year can be very intense and may also last for several days. It’s a great port in a storm.