Hi all and thank you for your replies.   
      
   I had forgotten about Bigelow Expandable Activity Module and TransHAB. So   
   enormous inflatable tents are maybe on the schedule.   
      
   The air maker is described in the novel as using heated Zeolite as a catalyst   
   to do the reaction 2CO2 => 2CO + O2. The zeolite needs to be heated to 600   
   degrees centigrade. I understand that this is a relatively mature and well   
   understood technology.   
      
   Perchlorates are addressed, and basically heating and exposure to water is   
   enough to break them down. Seeing as you are going to be heating up the   
   Martian dirt and mixing in some water that problem should be solved.   
      
   Thank you all for your replies.   
      
   Regards   
   Frank   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)