The shift from surface telerobotic outposts based on cluster module systems to excavated structures would mark the ultimate transition to a permanent settlement. Though still likely based exclusively on teleoperation for some time and focused on the objective of self-replication of its own system with indigenous materials, the initial excavated settlement would establish the diversified industrial and resource infrastructure necessary for highly safe and economical colonization by human beings. When the first prospective permanent settlers arrive, there will be little question of their survival even in the event of long disruptions of communication or transportation with Earth. The functional foundations of a sustainable civilization will have already been established and long demonstrated